


nameless philosophy

by berryargento



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project, Love Live! Sunshine!!
Genre: Adventure, Alchemists and Witches, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Magic, Disjointed, Drama, F/F, Mystery, witch!Dia AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-12
Updated: 2016-12-12
Packaged: 2018-09-08 03:09:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 26,155
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8828122
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/berryargento/pseuds/berryargento
Summary: Ohara Mari is ecstatic to start her first journey as a legal alchemist; one she never expected that it is a retrace to accept herself and to be aware of world's harsh truths.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I have many things to say about this but ... uhh, let me just put it in End Notes.  
> Do enjoy the world of Alchemists and Witches -- sorry for a very bad English (this fic is not beta read-ed) and it's a bad fic.

_In a world of future where witches and alchemist coexist, once a legend of Cursed Witch became a talk. Years passed, the true tale of the witch was long forgotten, only to be a bad omen and taboo of living._

_To the world of now, a certain failure of alchemist was about to uncover the truth of the tale and the nature between the 'cursed' witches and alchemists' past resentment..._

* * *

The city of Uchiura, the Familiar's Shelter.

Inside the bustling people lining up waiting for their turn, a certain blonde-haired alchemist was on her line with her own license of alchemy practice in her hand also a bright smile on her face.

Starting from today, Ohara Mari was no longer a simple girl who said to inherit Ohara Alchemy Industries, she passed her alchemist exam just yesterday and she was declared as an official alchemist from now on. Her atelier mates were happy to see her passed, at last, even though without much to brag about; her grades were so-so, her aptitude in making medicine is a bit worrying, her skills in combat magic is average ... _her license_ was simply an excuse so she doesn't practice illegal synthesize, Yoshiko could say.

"Next, Ohara—wait, Mari?" the current leader of Witch Association also her childhood friend, Matsuura Kanan, mentioned her name at last from behind the counter. "Did you get your license already to make a contract with familiar? I didn't know."

"It's because you're too busy around here, O Great Witch Kanan," Mari piped with a grin. "Finally, I can get a familiar to accompany my journey! _Romantic,_ isn't it?"

Amethyst eyes rolled, Kanan shoved a chuckle, "Well, it's not like alchemist needed a familiar in the first place—"

"I know, _I know~_ but we can get one, right? Right?"

"Yeah, yeah, let's take you to the cellar, okay? You're about to disturb everyone if I keep you jumping here and there."

Despite working with a same wavelength of magic, there is a fundamental difference between the word 'Witches' and 'Alchemists'.

People classify them as a 'witch' because they could gather energy from the world or gather energy from other living beings, while alchemists rely on their own inner power to do magics making them more vulnerable and easily fatigued. That being said, due to this nature, alchemists invented types of derivative magics unlike witches with their basic elementals so they could be as powerful, but not without repercussions.

The difference of power has been a debate for ages, but they have been living in harmony, albeit a bit of war tend to happen.

Familiar Shelter of Uchiura, which held different variations of familiars—a spirit animal, one might surmise—bred and ready to be contracted by witches or alchemists, has been well-known in a list of place to visit after a certain witch finished their degree or an alchemist getting her license, since bonding with a familiar has been a recent trend about years. Familiars possessed many uses aside from traveling companion and a normal pet; they could be used as a transportation, like Griffins and Unicorns, or a vessel to channel witch's magic.

Alchemists mostly make a contract with one to be their traveling companion to get the familiar's magical benefits, which was Mari about to do.

—However, nothing piqued her interests.

Kanan has introduced the series of dragons when Mari yawned.

"Not this too, eh?" Kanan quirked her brows. "Do you have any other criteria in mind then, aside from something majestic?"

Mari tilted her head, "I wonder ... maybe I couldn't find anything good here?"

"I can ask other witches in other shelters if you would," the blue-haired witch suggested. "You will go with Guilty Kiss atelier to Abandoned Ruins after this, right? You might also want to pay a visit to Mansion de Mikan to see another shelter."

Yes, she ever mentioned to Kanan once that the leader of her atelier proposed them to go on a journey to search for valuable materials. It has been one of their goals aside from taking missions that would earn golds for their living, to make the one and only 'Elixir of Life' that the book ever mentioned.

 _'It would cure everything and we could be famous!'_ Tsushima Yoshiko told her plan enthusiastically, Mari followed suit.

Kanan and Mari were walking back to the exit door when a black cat walked down from the alley where cat familiars settled. Mari was not exactly watching her step, as she stepped on that long, black tail, making the cat hissed loudly.

" _Oh!_ I-I'm sorry!" Mari quickly picked the cat up, meeting its paw kneading her face in anger. The alchemist stroked the tail carefully, repeating an apology once again. "What is this cat doing outside her cage, Kanan? It's not safe without a guardian."

Kanan checked the cat, seeing the red ribbon tied to its collar, her expression relaxed, "Hmm, so it's her."

Mari looked to those green eyes of the cat, which were calmer than the first she stepped on its tail, "Is she the cats' boss here?"

"No, no, she's just ... _ordinary_ ," Kanan explained. "The caretakers here says she has no power whatsoever but she's placed in this shelter, not even an ability to do great damage or anything, she's a powerless cat. Well, she still could understand what humans are talking, though."

Mari hummed at the mention of powerless, before gazing back at the cat, which was beginning to whine.

 _Ordinary, useless, powerless_ ; something that said to be unfit to the world of magic, the blonde once get those words repeated to her mind.

She stroked the head with care; seeing the cat grunted, dodging Mari's hand. The blonde smiled at the cat, a sign of fondness was there when she tried to pick it up, the black cat showed no sign of struggle this time.

"Can I have her?"

Kanan was sure she heard the cat groaned, now pouncing in Mari's arms.

The witch blinked, "Are you sure?"

" _Yes,_ " Mari nodded. "I like her; she's cute and she's _shining_ ~"

The current head of Witch Association contemplated for a bit, looking to the annoyed cat once and back to smiling Mari, who was lifting the cat up again.

"Alright, then," the blue-haired Witch approved. "You need to fill up the papers first, though, please put her down."

x x x

Mari was frolicking happily with the said black cat was following behind her, putting some distance between them, though.

When filling the papers, Kanan lectured her about how to handle a familiar cat well, since familiars are different from normal pets, even though the cat is said to be 'powerless'.

Firstly, it's prohibited to keep them with a leash on, it would greatly stress them also would suppress their power. Next, treat them well; get them a place to sleep, decent food to eat, also give them plenty of love. Some familiars are able to turn into a humanoid form, but it's still proved that only witch's familiars that could do such feat, maybe because witches have stronger powers than alchemists that make familiars able to utilize the. Also, familiars are bounded to their contractors, they couldn't stay too far apart or their powers will greatly decrease.

* * *

_"Her name is Dia."_

_She recalled Kanan gave her one last advice, along with an official document of the cat's data so far, which dated for almost ten years ago._

_"Dia—Diamond?" Mari repeated as she patted on the cat's head. "So this diamond is shining black!"_

_The cat gave an annoyed mewl and trotted away from Mari again, Kanan laughed._

_"She's an old cat, seniors of the seniors," the witch said. "I ... can't really say how long she'll last without power. She's pretty much like a normal cat to me."_

* * *

"Dia~"

The cat looked up, meowing for Mari to know; her pointy ears moved back and forth, green eyes gleaming under the afternoon sunlight's rays.

"Aww, you're cute! I can't wait to introduce you to everyone!" Mari squealed. "Oh, but Riko-chan and Yoshiko-chan said I can't be back before 4 ... guess you'll need to accompany me at the flea market!"

The cat gave a disagreement growl, rooting to her place.

"Come on, come on, you lazy girl~ we'll go on a journey~"

Dia couldn't help but struggle to no avail as Mari quickly picked her up and they went for a run.

Uchiura wasn't exactly a big city around the area, it was well-known to the Capital of Numazu to far East as more of a satellite town; a place where Uranohoshi Alchemist's School, the Familiar Shelter of Uchiura, also the main building of Witch Association with Kanan as the leader, took the stand. The seas are the most beautiful, making most of the travelers whom passed by Numazu always dropped by to enjoy the scenery, if not to visit the academy for sea-related research purposes.

Every Friday afternoon, a flea market is arranged near the sea by active students of the academy, selling basic medicines, herbs, valuable items, synthesize materials, some everyday necessities also used books. What Mari searched for that day was something a cat—Dia—might likes, since she still had a time before returning to her workshop.

"Hmm, cat food sounds expensive ..." Mari mumbled. "Nee, Dia, what else do you like, beside cat food?"

Dia showed no sign of interest as she (forcefully) brought to the flea market, she only matched Mari's pace moving here and there, sometimes yawned, sometimes scratching her head, nothing more.

"How about something to replace your red ribbon?" Mari touched the old, worn-out ribbon that wrapped Dia's neck.

The cat tilted her head when the blonde purchased materials; white ribbon and an unpolished, cheap purple gem.

"Don't worry, I can make you an accessory with alchemy!" she beamed.

x x x

Ah, how many times Dia needed to curse about her bad luck—

—to tell the truth, her luck must have been worst since the moment she was _cursed_.

The black cat yawned, following her new 'owner' strolling through the said flea market about thirty minutes or so. She had already lost count of time after she had been converted into a cat form. She was tired to be dragged around, robbed of her freedom and small space at the Familiar Shelter when she's bound to this jumpy alchemist just awhile ago, back to the world of humans after all the confinement in the calm, peaceful shelter with animals.

Dia questioned why this alchemist wanted to form a contract with 'good for nothing' familiar like her every time she walked.

"Look at here, Dia, it's a book about keeping cats!" oh, another annoying high-pitched voice again, Dia let out a weak, lazy meow of response. "I should think of buying one, but maybe later."

After all, Dia _was_ not a simple cat, or even a cat familiar.

Gladly, though, because of this 'cursed form' of hers, no one suspected or even touched her, a stamp of defect familiar has been marked to her about ages, just as her true colors of a 'Cursed Witch'. Being a cat is much easier and more comfortable than having to be said as cursed in human's scale, she might need to thank someone who converted her into a cat form.

That day, however, things taking turns to unexpected when Ohara Mari made a pact with her.

As a pact familiar, one couldn't stray far from their rightful owners, let alone to act independently—it was already sound in the contract form and would be bound to them to their deaths.

"Guess that's all," Mari moved to pet Dia. "About the time we return to the Guilty Kiss atelier!"

Dia gave a weak mewl as a response, continuing to follow Mari out of the market. She could be sure she heard some of the students who were talking behind the counters, chit-chattering about something she could easily hear with her enhanced feline ears.

_"It's ... Ohara-san, wasn't she? That late-bloomer ..."_

_"I heard she's just getting her license, maybe with her parents' help ..."_

—As much as Dia hated Mari's high-pitched voice, those kind of noises were what she disliked at most.

x x x

Guilty Kiss atelier was not exactly as fancy as its name suggested.

Located on the edge of the town, pretty close to the sea, almost looked like a summer shack with a two-story building. Nothing different from other houses except for the big board notified the workshop's name, along with colorful glitters made with sand-based items and decoration bats.

"We got this bat-like wings on our back as a sign that we're Guilty Kiss!" Mari exclaimed, pointed at her makeshift black-skeleton-like wings. "We mostly get prank items and weaponry as a request, though, haha."

Before Mari could knock the door, an exploding boom could be heard from behind, making Dia's furs stood. The blonde calmly opened the atelier, unfazed by such surprise. Perhaps explosions were something common there?

Golden eyes acknowledged the usual tidy lobby to be covered with banners and Yoshiko's artificial bats flying around. There's a cake around the center, medium-sized shortcake with strawberries on top along with a chocolate icing written in white cream, ' _Congratulations on your graduation!'_ —

"Yocchan, didn't I tell you to ask Mari-san to come at 5?" came grumpy Riko from the site of the kitchen, Yoshiko seemed to be using cauldron located around the westmost part of the atelier as they spoke.

"Aah—My bad!" she coughed.

Stunned Mari was being welcomed by two familiar black cats, which purring happily to see Mari back. The cat with chestnut-colored eyes voiced another _zura_ and jumped around the cake area. Not long, Riko and Yoshiko followed to the center room, Riko still with her apron and Yoshiko's hair a bit burnt. "I-I'm sorry Mari-chan, this is kind of incomplete eh? Seems my demon's lips couldn't shut up for a—"

Dia looked up to meet the energetic golden eyes sparkled with fresh tears.

" _I love you guys_! Thank you, thank you!"

Mari embraced the younger alchemists with a bear hug, enough to make the three of them fell to the floor.

"Congratulations on your graduation, Mari-san, we're happy for you."

"You have passed the hell, this is a grand achievement!" Yoshiko added with a triumphant face. "Of course we'll celebrate it, right, Lily?"

.

Dia watched the three, as well as the two familiar cats which were meowing in unison as to congratulate the blonde alchemist. Her usual tense tails fell relaxed, relishing the warm moment she never see for years.

(Maybe it wasn't that bad to follow a human like Ohara Mari, at least for now.)

x x x

The party was lively even though mostly it's their usual chit-chattering about random things at most while enjoying the cake and other appetizers. Riko prohibited Yoshiko from making spicy foods for once, forcefully making her craft the cake with her handling the appetizers, she said.

Guilty Kiss atelier was founded by Tsushima Yoshiko five years ago with once traveling alchemist Sakurauchi Riko, the name Ohara Mari just joined in the fourth year. It's a small atelier composed with odds and ends, Riko once said to her, however, it's giving homey and peaceful feelings. Most of their golds were from basic medicines at first, but it evolved as Yoshiko continues on developing strange items (which at first was not for prank uses). They also took missions from both Witch Associations and Alchemist Guilds, mostly Mari would watch and study about what Riko and Yoshiko doing since she has yet to get her license. Riko let her make simple items from time to time and Yoshiko often challenged her to make greater things outside school's books within the mission.

"Since Mari-chan had her license, might as well as we start to begin our journey," Yoshiko held her 'demonic' pose for all the girls to ignore. "A search for Elixir of Life's ingredient, Phantom Flower!"

Other two cats seemed excited with all the meows, Riko's scoffing and Mari's clapping, Dia looked indifferent.

"But, first thing first!" she pointed at Mari. "Do introduce that little demon of yours, Mari-chan."

" _Oh_ , I forgot!" she picked Dia up. "This is my familiar, her name is Dia."

Yoshiko pinched the cat, "Hmm? It's not different from Zuramaru and Lily's Admiral You ..." the cat scratched Yoshiko's hand. "Wow, an aggressive little demon, it's good to have you aboard."

"What's her specialty, Mari-san?" Riko asked.

Mari rolled her eyes, eventually thinking.

"She's ... special, for me."

She could say Dia is an ordinary cat and all, just like how Kanan described her but she felt like she should say something more about this black cat instead of confirming her plainness, hence her curt yet simple answer.

Dia, however, blinked at Mari's response.

"Hmm? That's mysterious, I love the excitement," Yoshiko nodded. "Onto the ruins exploration's details."

Yoshiko snapped her fingers, the regional map of New Shizuoka opened right on the table. A red cross mark was there, the south of where they were, the city of Uchiura. The ruins or the map stated 'unnamed ruins' written in small writing beside the cross. Not far from the cross, an Orange-shaped mark was there, 'Mansion de Mikan', a place that Kanan asked Mari to visit for optional Familiar Shelter.

"Lily has been collecting rumors from her mission about this place. It looked like a same old, ruined palace that would attract treasure hunters but it's covered in a miasma."

Miasma—should be some form of a fog, yet stating it's 'miasma' instead of 'fog' would mean it was a bad thing, perhaps coated in magic or a manmade obstacle as a result of another party.

"This purple miasma said to be existed since the ruins were found," Riko explained. "Because of it, only a handful of people ever visited this place, it will endanger your health to inhale in that miasma for long."

"But we got Lily in our team, everything covered!" the blue-haired alchemist released a box in her hold, in there, contained seven ampoules of reddish liquid. "One of the travelers has given a request of an antidote so they could stay longer in the ruins, Lily picked the mission and successfully crafted it."

Riko blushed when both of them applauded, loudly, in accordance of two cats' purring happily.

"Well, one problem's done, sadly we have another. A bit trivial, though." Yoshiko said. "There's this legend that makes people avoiding the ruins."

Mari tilted her head, "Hmm? Is it a ghost?"

"If it's ghost, Yohane will surely get them back to Hell—" Yoshiko's cat mewling in interruption. "—Ahem. Okay. It's that old story that you have heard almost everywhere, Mari-chan, the Legend of Cursed Witch."

The Legend of Cursed Witch, a tale that had been well-known about years. It all started as rumors, but in roughly a year, Witch Association confirmed about the truth of the story. The tale was not true, it was shaped from old bedtime stories, yet everyone—witches and alchemists alike—tried to uncover the truth. They said some items left by the said Witch scattered around and collecting them would revive the witch, some said going to a Dense Forest by the edge of Numazu would meet you with the Cursed Witch; many tales surrounding abandoned and enclosed space about the Cursed Witch has yet to be proven, even numerous books regarding the tale have been born and the tale of said Witch has been a common knowledge.

'Don't do a forbidden spell,' they said.

'Never synthesize a forbidden items,' they said.

From then, the Cursed Witch has always been linked for every bad omen happened to the area.

"I never believed the story, everyone just spouting nonsense," Mari said. "The story seems off and nothing has been found related to this Cursed Witch."

"They said the 'Witch's Relic' is true, though, but nobody ever meets one," Riko exclaimed. "The alchemist that requested this antidote said that the miasma might be the leftover to said witch's power."

"All in all, this journey will be marvelous," Yoshiko surmised, clapping her hands. "I hope we can prepare ourselves perfectly today since we'll be departing tomorrow."

"—What? I haven't heard about it, Yocchan!"

Riko continued to scold Yoshiko (for the girl to briskly run away), Mari proceeded to step aside, walking upstairs. Dia followed, out of curiosity. The voice of laughter and scolding from downstairs died down bit by bit as they ascended to a casual room with a set of sofa stretched, also three leading doors to another room.

"Rather than bothering them fighting, I should show you other rooms in here," Mari looked over to Dia. "This center door is leading to my room."

Dia stared at the door and started sniffing, she could trace a bit of lemon by the room's direction.

"Does it smell weird? I'm having a lemonade in my room often. Oh, but maybe it's harmful to give such drink to a cat, eh?"

The black cat only groaned.

Mari opened the door to show her room to Dia. A relatively small room with a single bed, single desk with its chair, filled with a mountain of reference books, a shelf with an hourglass and other stacks of books, an untouched drawer of clothes (maybe), and a purple-colored floor carpet.

Dia walked to the carpet, where Mari sat on, tidying her bag and its contents.

"Tomorrow will be my first journey with Guilty Kiss, can say I'm excited and unsure what to bring so I scattered things around since Yohane-chan told that we'll go after I get my license," the blonde explained. "Shall we start packing things?"

x x x

Dia didn't show any sign of enthusiasm, she just followed Mari while she picked up her notebook.

"This is my journal, Dia. I made this myself when the first time I decided to be an independent alchemist," Mari opened the first page. "Ah, please do ignore the bat sticker, it's Yohane-chan's addition, she added it on the random pages."

It was a simple journal with a cover of plain black leather, the page is lined, filled with small handwriting in a purple ink. Mari skimmed over pages, Dia caught a glimpse of doodles, sometimes notes about synthesize, also a writing from someone else, perhaps Guilty Kiss members'.

"Oh, I should add the date I got a familiar!"

Dia mewled, questioning why.

"It's important, 'cause a good for nothing alchemist like me finally can adopt one," Mari wrote by the end of the book, where she listed most of the important things, her free hand came to pat at the curious black cat. "You'll never know how grateful I am to get you."

The cat watched Mari closed her journal and put it in her bag, proceeding to take other things.

"Potions ... it's Riko-chan's expertise ... snacks ... of course not ... _oh!_ "

Mari stood up to open her closet, rummaging through few things Dia didn't know and got out to take two blankets, red and purple.

"'Cause we might need one in the camp," the blonde alchemist tossed the blankets on the carpet. Dia showed up from in-between the fluff. "I made the red one for you~ hope it will match your taste, te-hee~"

Mari continued playing and talking with Dia while sorting her belongings. Dia helped her choosing items, well, simply pointing her paw randomly between two things, though.

Riko called them downstairs for dinner, in which tonight they have Yohane's Special Demon Soup—without any additional chili peppers on per Riko's insistence. Mari gave Dia the same as You and Hanamaru making, the re-synthesize of the soup leftover to be an edible, non-spicy cat soup.

.

.

.

Dia opened her eyes the moment she felt the breath of Mari relaxed, as sleep taken the alchemist's consciousness rather late. The blonde spent her time before resting by talking with Dia again, this time about random alchemy things surrounding the atelier. Bit by bit, Dia was aware of how happy Mari was there, how Yoshiko and Riko treated her like a normal, not a 'trash of living' which those eyes from the market earlier shown about her.

Dia slowly pulled herself out of Mari's blanket, green eyes wandering to the direction of the window. The moon was waning, so is her feelings.

_Is this the good choice, to follow an alchemist?_

Dia looked back where the alchemist, her contractor, was sleeping soundly. Her mind drifted, debated relentlessly about a simple problem that she already knew the answer is.

_Give it a chance. It's different. Everything will be okay._

Dia recited a few lines, curling up to her own furs and close her eyes, trying hard to let sleepiness took her worries for a day.

.

{ Tomorrow will be their first journey together knowing outside world, both of them were excited to what the world could bring. }

* * *

The ruins were reached after two days walk with occasional camping out.

The place's huge; stretched from east to west with a structure like a maze. Their goal is to go deeper, under the ground where the said [Phantom Flower] said to be blooming. As the information said, the miasma was pretty thick, purple mist oozed from every corner without stopping, the source was unknown.

"Remember the antidote!"

"Yes."

There were no maps available about the place, only a note from other travelers who have journeyed through the mysterious, abandoned building. Most parts of the building was already gone, leaving traces of broken wall, shards of glasses and pieces of bricks. Vines has overgrown in places, even closing the path.

They took a formation of a line, sticking close together with Mari on the front, searching for the way down below.

"Mari-chan, to your left!"

A roar cracked from nearby broken door, a big Chimera—combination of a deer and a lion—came from the other side, striking lightning to the place. Yoshiko covered Mari's back, deflecting the attack with her scythe.

"Yocchan, stay back!" Riko stepped in with her lance on, about to strike.

"Aww, okay then."

"You can attack with your long-range _dark flame_ as usual~"

Mari followed Riko, her rapier's ready. The Chimera has been anticipating them, screaming another threatening roar. Yoshiko charged her scythe, forming a three-pronged circle around the Chimera, black aura oozing from each circle. Riko leaped forward, crushing her lance to the horn of said monster, making its attention from Yoshiko's magic faded. Mari took the rear, slashing its tail to shreds.

" _Hell Summon: Inferno!_ "

Three circles entrapped the Chimera, letting it burning inside the searing black flames until it fell, decreased into ashes.

" _Perfect_!" Mari grinned. "Let's get going!"

They continue treading the route ahead with a few detouring because meeting the dead end was made. The ruins stretched far to south until they found an entrance cave that went deeper, avoiding monsters, sometimes fighting with some smaller ones, stopped to catch their breath and re-applying the antidote. The entrance cave came with a set of stairs far, far beyond sights to whatever below.

It was silent except the sounds of their steps, walking carefully to not miss any stairs or holes. There might be traps around or monsters just like the Chimera they just confronted.

"Looks like [Mega Truffle] growing around here," Yoshiko noted as she saw few overgrowing mushroom around the cave walls. "Why not pick some for dinner tonight?"

"The place is covered in a miasma, Yocchan, it might not be a good idea."

"We can wash it thoroughly, I'm in a mood of some mushrooms."

"Some other time, Yohane-chan, the place is already scary with many monsters, we couldn't add food poisoning to our list." Mari laughed lightly.

There was a loud beak from below, a flying Drake, not too big to shake their formation, swept in between their way, followed by two smaller Drakes. Yoshiko quickly shoots them with fire magic. The Drakes remained mostly passive, didn't strike back but keep flying above their heads, watching the Guilty Kiss team's movement.

"Are they charging their magic?"

"No, but keep cautious. They seemed to be agitated because of our presence. Stay at your place." Riko suggested.

"Can I taunt them with my fire?"

"You can, but don't make it big. If they are restless, guess the boulders above us would fell down."

Yoshiko took the time to cast another fire, Mari and Riko watched her back to keep the Drakes at bay. As long as the Drakes didn't clash on the walls, they were just as fine, they don't need more trouble of anticipating the Drakes plus avoiding the raining boulders.

One of the smaller Drake dived down, Riko shouted a command to duck away—

"Huh?"

Mari had pressed down one of the brick walls by where she stood when she tried to dodge and just like that, the stairs below her feet fell.

A trap.

A trap, at a time like this.

"Mari-san!?"

The last thing she heard was Riko's scream, Yoshiko casting her _Dancing Fire Dragon_ attack to parry at the flying Drakes, and the darkness which swallowed her whole.

.

.

.

" _She's not worthy of Ohara's name."_

" _Let her be."_

" _She's a failure."_

_She got it a lot—Mari knew about it all along even though they didn't say it in front of her face._

_Because she was a late-bloomer, an alchemist with no talent and ability, she was a normal without power, said to be a next generation to inherit an alchemy company but unable to be good at it. She was adapting to her alchemy ability just recently, one said she might be too old to start studying as an alchemist._

_Everywhere she walked, everytime she stood; everyone looked her with the same sympathy, the same pity, they said they couldn't do anything without the help of her parents' money or power—_

_._

" _Ouch."_

_She was stumbling upon a blue-haired girl, clad in purple and black. An artificial pair of wings made her entire appearance stood out in the crowd. Mari was searching for a material in the market since she couldn't find it during her dungeon crawling. She was confident of her own ice magic to defeat one or two monsters roaming around, but, the synthesize task she required to do for her assignments was a puzzling one to finish. Mari tried to ask her classmates, but nobody answered her._

_So much for being a 'late-bloomer'._

" _Watch where you are walking, you were about to drop a jar of Yohane's happiness!"_

" _I'm sorry—huh?"_

_Mari was looking at the jar the girl was holding, it was strawberries floating inside the water._

" _What ... is that you're holding on to?"_

" _Oh, you didn't know? This is a specially-preserved strawberry," the girl said with such unique hand pose. "I'm going to turn it in for a request."_

" _Request?"_

" _Are you still a student?" Mari nodded. "Also, you're not affiliated with any Ateliers?"_

" _... Ateliers?"_

_The blue-haired girl only tilted her head upon hearing Mari's minimum ability of 'missions', 'requests' and 'ateliers'._

" _Come with me to my humble abode, then!" she exclaimed. "Well, of course after turning this in."_

.

.

.

Her head seemed funny the moment she was being jolted awake.

The first sense to come back to her after her blurry vision was the pained, familiar mewling.

"—ah."

No good, her legs practically not responding to her plea, rather, it was throbbing painfully.

The mewling sound focused, when she realized the black cat was atop of her all this time, with her body lying flat on the whatever ground of grass or ruins stone bricks she was on. Took awhile for Mari to regain her full senses, numbness on her body, as well as feeling the intensity of pain of both of her legs.

A sprain, maybe—or perhaps she broke a bone—no, there could be anything and she couldn't deduce from the pain nor she could do much to check. Mari winced when she tried to effortlessly move her leg a bit, Dia whined when she did.

"... looks like I hurt my leg, Dia." Mari patted at the worried cat. "We're stuck here."

* * *

The Drakes were gone after their series of attack, Riko and Yoshiko continued to climb their way up until they reached the bottom, to another forked road leading to the ruins' endless maze, also a big hollow wall filled with unknown runes.

"We need to find Mari, Lily."

"Yes, but we're camping here." Riko saw Yoshiko is not amused by the decision, she sighed. "Do remember about your condition, leader. I know we had a lot to worry about."

"... You don't need to tell me about that." Yoshiko looked away. Maru beside her mewled, eye cast down. "Let's camp here."

* * *

For the first time, she cursed her powerless state of a cat.

With her power, any wound would not be a big deal and yet here they were, inside a room, falling from a hole of trap nowhere, no way out with Mari's legs hurt. The blonde alchemist can sit up slowly but her legs remained immobilized, not to mention that her occasional hiss of pain which hurt Dia to hear more.

There was no way out from the place where they fell, they couldn't make out of anything up there, also no way to cure or perhaps switch the wound's place to—

"Dia?"

Her fur stood up when her owner called. Mari hosted the same warm smile when she signed for Dia to come near, away from the broken table where she settled, thinking. Dia came down, but not willing to jump in Mari's arms as she stretched. Rather, Dia backed down, meowing to the floor.

Seeing this, Mari dropped her arms, disappointed. She couldn't reach the cat to simply pat on this condition and she didn't know why Dia felt so distant.

"Are you hungry? Were you searching for food? You were sniffing around earlier."

Dia shook her head.

"Oh, were you afraid to hurt my broken legs?" that was only a sound conclusion which Mari could pull off. Thankfully, the black cat nodded, Mari was forever relieved. "Sorry to have worried you."

Silence reigned faster, Dia couldn't help but mewl once more just to break the ice, although it must be because of her that the condition went awry.

"Come here?"

Mari pleaded once more and there went her courage, she couldn't even do the simplest thing as a cat. She can't. She just can't. What if something happened when Mari moved? What could she do to ease Mari's pain? She's nothing but a—

" _Ice stairs._ "

Mari flicked her fingers and the next second, Dia was sent afloat because of the force of the ice blocks formed below her four feet, bridging their way beside where Mari was. The alchemist lifted Dia up, settling her on her shoulder. She gave the black cat a small stroke around the nape to the back, Dia purred slightly.

"My magic capacity isn't as big as Yoshiko so I don't think I can lift both of us up, this is what I can do to make myself feel safe."

Mari hugged the small, black cat in her hold.

It was, too, the first time for Dia to succumb at such an intimate touch; without any groan, without an urge to back away. It was the first time for her to feel of wanting to be _there_ , anything she could do to help Mari in this helpless situation, trapped and wounded. Dia felt Mari's trembling subsided after some time, though her hands were still cold.

"Can you help me sorting out things in my bag out, Dia?"

.

.

.

Mari needed to take the miasma antidote every four hours, so Dia set it up the nearest for the reach. She pulled the blanket to Mari's lap, also she got the lighter that Mari told her to get, also a bottle contained water and a small, violet box she didn't know the purpose for.

"Give me the box."

Dia did as told. The box was small for her to hold, but of course, she couldn't do such thing as giving a box with two hands so she opted to push the small crate slowly not to let it roll too far.

She noticed Mari giggled, she looked up to see the usual smile had returned.

" _Do your best_ ~"

After such effort, the box now on her palm, Dia let out a relieved—with a hint of pride—meow.

Mari chanted something Dia didn't know, for the box to open. Ice from her fingertips resonated with the black sphere the box was holding, now the once small compartment grew to a medium-sized one, Mari placed it in front of Dia. The cat quickly jumped away when the medium-sized box released a surprising pop, turning into larger one with some kind of liquid filling the center. Dia waited for a bit to see that the box no longer gave out a reaction, Mari laughed hard at the sight of the surprised cat but decided to keep it down. The alchemist could see those emerald eyes of hers glistened upon seeing the device.

"This is Yoshiko-chan's invention, [Portable Atelier]," Mari introduced. "At least we won't starve and won't feel cold as long as I can use my alchemy."

Dia mewled, tilting her head; asking whoever Yoshiko was, Mari thought.

"Oh, Yoshiko is Yohane-chan. Yoshiko-chan doesn't want to be called 'Yoshiko' when she's in the atelier. Her full name is Tsushima Yoshiko."

Mari read the name with her ice magic, Dia's emerald looked up in awe.

"Both Yoshiko-chan and Riko-chan are a great alchemist, eh? I wonder why I can end up in that atelier."

Dia's tail stood up as she groaned.

"Did I anger you in any way?"

She tapped her paw furiously on the ground.

"Was it because I said things about myself?"

The cat nodded.

"Oh, umm, I ... don't mean it, I'll try not to do it again," Mari said. "Let's make a fire while I tell you about the atelier, okay?"

* * *

The miasma was a bit thick down there, leading to the branching part which led them to more levels underground. Sunlight wasn't reaching there, it would be a total darkness without a torch. You helped Riko made the big fire for them while Yoshiko set out the camping tent. Their silence continued for a bit, Riko needed them for Yoshiko to cool down her head.

Hanamaru was meowing to the direction of the wall, Yoshiko got to follow her after she finished setting up the tent.

"What is it, Zuramaru? You seem to be excited."

The Guilty Kiss leader kept her trademark [Hollow Lantern] to light up from above, the runes on the wall were glowing slightly. Yoshiko tried to decipher the first few symbols, realized that it was nothing she ever studied from the book as an Alchemist.

"Codec of Ancient Magician, eh? Sadly it's not my area of knowledge," Hanamaru meowed again below her. "Maybe this lead to something about this ruins but ... oh well let me jot it down and we could ask around the city when we are back."

Maru pulled the part of Yoshiko's socks to seek an attention, she picked up Maru when the cat did.

"Hmm? Do you want to tell me that you know these runes?" the alchemist locked her eyes to Maru's chestnut-colored ones, nudged her nose to meet the cat's pointy black. "I don't know cat language either."

Maru's ears drooped when Yoshiko answered.

"It's alright, it's alright. This rune can wait," she said. "Why don't we go back? Seems Lily already got the fire ready, we can cook something."

* * *

" _She's not worthy of Ohara's name."_

" _Let her be."_

" _She's a failure."_

_She got it a lot—Mari knew about it all along even though they didn't say it in front of her face._

_Because she was a late-bloomer, an alchemist with no talent and ability, she was a normal without power, said to be a next generation to inherit an alchemy company but unable to be good at it. She was adapting to her alchemy ability just recently, one said she might be too old to start studying as an alchemist._

_Everywhere she walked, everytime she stood; everyone looked her with the same sympathy, the same pity, they said they couldn't do anything without the help of her parents' money or power. She was a girl born with the brightest golden spoon, living in wealth and everything that one can ask for, she also can opt to not care about alchemy at all and simply live her life in whatever way possible._

_It always bothers her._

_It always makes her sad._

_It always burdens her to hear that she's an exclusion—something that no one ever wished._

_Nobody valued her; nobody wanted her, she's a mere shell to be used—_

_._

_._

_._

" _Guilty Kiss?"_

" _Yes, a cool name, huh?" the blue-haired alchemist did her trademark pose along with a smile of pride. "Come on in."_

_She walked inside the small atelier, which was a bit spacious at the center. There Mari was being greeted by two cats and a welcome back voice._

" _Lily, I'm coming back with a promising student from the academy to join our atelier!"_

" _W-Wha ...?"_

_The burgundy-haired young woman 'Lily' came into view from upstairs, she donned a similar outfit like this 'Yohane' did. She looked overly-normal for Mari, well, to compare with Yohane's giddiness._

" _Welcome to our atelier! My name is Sakurauchi Riko." she greeted. "Are you not being coerced by this girl when deciding to come here?"_

" _Come on, Lily! I'm not that bad!" Yohane whined. "She's here to observe first, though."_

_Amber eyes watched her expressions, Mari must've been dumbfounded mostly because of the remarks, but then Riko smiled. "What's your name, are you new in the academy?"_

" _Umm ... you can say I love the school so much that I'm not graduated ... yet, haha ..." Mari laughed dryly. "O-Oh right, I'm Ohara Mari."_

" _Ohara-san, then?"_

" _Mari is okay, Riko-chan~"_

" _Okay! Onto cauldrons, little demons!"_

" _Wait, Yocchan!"_

.

_Mari asked herself, then to both of Yoshiko and Riko a few times._

_She's a total stranger, she even mentioned her synthesizing track records, she mentioned she almost got F in all subjects and there she was, entrusted to make an item for a B-ranked mission Riko had explained._

" _A [Sugar Nectar] is one popular item to bring on a journey to cure poison," Riko said. "We got a request to hand in five with Water properties, making the healing more efficient."_

" _The ingredients are on your left, Little Demon," Yoshiko pointed the shelf beside Mari. "Don't worry if you want to use many, I can fetch some more."_

_Golden eyes blinked to the smiling duo._

" _Are you sure you want me to do this?"_

" _Of course, you can do it, I'm sure about it," the blue-haired girl nodded._

" _You can do it, Mari-san!"_

" _Zura!"_

" _Gao-gao!"_

_Mari wasn't sure, all she did is more fidgeting rather than pouring the materials right. She knew about the Nectar in class, but to make such item—_

" _... You guys know that I can't, were you making fun of me?"_

_Yoshiko was the one to take Mari's outburst, patted on the shaky shoulder as she said,_

" _We want to help you overcoming your bad side here, Mari-chan," the owner of the atelier smiled. "You always say that you fail, that's why I—no, both of us—want to help you. Is that clear?"_

_._

The small fire was crackling as the story went on, with Dia occasionally whined when Mari about to start a line of self-depreciation. She laughed when she did her first successful synthesize and Yoshiko's word of encouragement. Despite trials and errors, also countless cauldron boom, five Nectar was being made with the right quality.

"It's just ... unbelievable, if you ask me." Mari continued. "I never thought that someone was going to accept me and my faults ... I was so happy to have joined Guilty Kiss atelier."

How Mari told everything, how Mari endured everything, how Mari came up and accepted everything ...

Dia recalled that dream she had when both of them fell down, the moment people called her up in the market that day, the way she cheerfully smiled despite all—

—and to this moment, when she said all of her gratefulness, also the moment Dia understood what Mari had to say that day.

' _I'm glad to have a familiar._ '

A circling stroke to her head shook her from the trance.

"What's wrong, Dia? You've been awfully quiet, was my story too hard to comprehend?"

 _If only I can hug you or cry for you right now_. _If only I can be back to be a witch. If only I am not cursed. If only—_

Dia blinked as she felt a soft and fluffy thing being draped to her back, a red blanket that Mari said being specially made for her ... it was fitting her small stature well.

"It's pretty chilly, right? Even though the fire is on," Mari got her nose to meet Dia's. "Let's sleep for now, we have nothing to do except to wait."

Emerald eyes looked above to whatever darkness beyond them, to the cracking fire, then to Mari's inviting pat to lean closer, asking the cat to bundle up plus the other warm blankets.

 _Will miracle happen?_ —Dia wondered as her thoughts went adrift.

* * *

Riko was awakened by the noise not far from the camp.

They were not knowing of time since they have been far inside the ruins, perhaps it was their tiredness that brought them to slumber slowly after the warm meal and a little chat. The burgundy-haired alchemist was sure to remember about stocking up medicine before she and Yoshiko went deeper in search of Mari, might as well alert Yoshiko to wake up later.

The noise outside was of unfamiliar chatting voices ... about two people.

Riko crept closer to take a peek at whoever alchemist or witch that happened to pass by, her amber eyes witnessed something that shouldn't be able to happen.

"You-chan ...?"

Riko quickly opened the tent cover and met up with the two cats—two transformed familiar in their fullest form, they were similar to a human with their cat features tail and ears, intact. The alchemist quickly recognized her familiar by those sky-colored eyes, also the way the tail moves.

"Good ... morning, zura?"

The chestnut-haired girl—err, familiar—politely bowed to her while You saluted.

"What's happening? I thought us alchemist can't make you transform?"

"That's our question too, Riko-chan," You smiled wryly. "Maru-chan and I guessed that it happened because of the miasma."

Riko eyed her surrounding; she had cast a preemptive measure around the camp to ward off the miasma from her and Yoshiko while they were sleeping, seemed that it went thicker as they traveled farther down, concentrated at a point that they didn't know. The alchemist only knew whether the miasma is toxic for humans to inhale, but if You's theory sounds, then—

"A-ah, umm, sorry to bother you, Riko-san, zura!" Maru raised her hand. "Can I go in and wake Yoshiko-chan? I've got something important to tell."

Both You and Riko blinked.

.

.

.

Riko concluded You and Maru's theory about the miasma is true, that it made them 'fueled' with enough power alike from Witches that could make the familiars channel their true form and perhaps full power that has yet to be demonstrated.

They discussed the familiars' power over small meals, also waiting for Riko to stock up some potions.

"So let me re-introduce myself first," the grey-haired familiar stood up and gave another salute. She also had this excited, jittery tail movement as she introduced herself. "Watanabe You, a familiar with the ' **Essence of Strength** ' specialty! Simply, I can add more power to every attack Riko-chan is making with her magic!"

She then cued Hanamaru to introduce herself.

"Kunikida Hanamaru," she fidgeted. "I ... um, a familiar of Wind elements, I also can translate runes ... err this ability is called ' **Waking Library** ', if I'm not wrong, zura."

"So it's what you meant by the wall earlier, Zuramaru?" the blue-haired alchemist asked, Hanamaru nodded in confirmation.

"Yes, so ..." Maru looked to her back where the glowing runes were. "This wall only contained an introductory part ... but some of them has been altered, I think. Its runes construction is jumbled and added up to make it similar to the real 'Codec of Ancient Magician'."

"That's neat, we can split up so Zuramaru can search for another wall for clues then—"

"In one condition, Yoshiko-chan—"

"Yohane." The alchemist interrupted. "Ah well, it's not important right now, continue."

"I can't read them without your help. You're my contractor, meaning I can only lend my power to read for you to use, you must read and witness the runes too."

Riko hummed. "We can't split roads, then," she glanced back at You. "Any thoughts of what path we should take, You-chan?"

You trotted the forked road beyond them, checking a little deeper from each and every corner in sight. Riko patiently waited while Yoshiko and Hanamaru were debating about Codec of Ancient Magician again and whether to know about it being fake or not.

"Think we should follow the highly-concentrated miasma trail, how's that sound, captain?"

* * *

Dia's ears stood up in an alert when she heard a familiar hiss.

"I—I'm okay, don't look at me with that eyes. I'm totally fine, just a bit ..."

As much as she could mewl aloud, nothing could ease Mari's pain, she just waited, sitting patiently seeing Mari struggled with her pain, even making an ice coating around the affected area.

The nature of ice magic is derived from water, Dia recalled. Ice has the same healing properties as how water and wind elements do, but maybe not as strong as the original magic line does. Witches didn't delve deep into derivative magics since they already exceptionally strong with their basics, they only took whatever alchemist's invention into consideration, also approving the use of derivative elements to further use and exploration.

Dia rested her head, nudging at the closed palm of Mari's, tried to give her a little rub to ease her. Took some while for Mari's pain to subside, for those tense muscles to relax from hard contraction, Dia snuggling to her hand didn't stop.

"Thank ... you, Dia."

.

Trekking the road with the fullest miasma concentration also came with the series of traps and dead ends.

Then again, Yoshiko and Riko weren't alone, they had more firepower by their side now, overcoming traps and hidden doors were easier with the help of You's strength, also they got to collect clues by reading runes engraved on the wall along the road.

They were jumping deeper and deeper into the maze, the roads of stone were steep and the miasma grew thicker.

"Surprisingly, even the ruins' walls tells the tale of Cursed Witch inside the book," Yoshiko remarked. "I wonder if right now we're being cursed by the said Witch."

"Tune the dark joke now, Yocchan. We can't afford to walk into another trap."

"... Alright," Yoshiko floated from the separating stone roads with her made wings. "Also, is this 'Kurosawa' I read a few times is the Witch's name? Think I've heard it before ..."

They stopped by the edge with no road to continue. Beyond them were sea of darkness without anything to see below, some path of crystal-like substances formed but no leading path to continue further except to climb up back to where they were started. The four of them searched the floating stone they were in; no trap steep hole, no hidden glass bridges, no more monsters come to get them, nothing.

"A dead end, zura."

"That's strange," You's eyes rolled. "I can still smell the miasma's trail down there ..."

You looked up, finding nothing in sights.

"Zuramaru, what were the last lines we read again?"

"Huh? How the witch's slay people, zura?"

"No, no, the last sentence."

"Err, _let fire burns_?"

"No. The line that you said the original, not altered."

"Stop fighting you two." Riko scoffed.

"We're not, Lily, it's important."

Hanamaru traced back the lines she read with Yoshiko before the last turn where they found another road leading down.

"Ah! I remembered, zura!" Hanamaru clapped her hands. " _For everything that should be sacrificed, it's but the will to—_ "

A huge circle of Yoshiko's fire magic formed below their feet.

"— _to tell them the truth, hidden inside the room of fire._ " Yoshiko finished.

They held the ground as the place where they stood shakes violently in response to Yoshiko's magic, a pillar of fire roams out, finding their way up alike fireworks, penetrating to the hollow space they thought as an air of nothing, but actually an invisible glass wall clad in full rune of Codec of Ancient Magician, burning bright with the help of Yoshiko's black fire.

"Hold on, everyone. I'll stop the heat after Zuramaru and I finished reading!"

The ground started to melt.

"It's an activation chant, zura. Please repeat the lines after me, Yoshiko-chan!"

.

The violent shaking stopped, thankfully, there was no kind of debris or stones dropped down there to make the things worse. Dia was beyond vigilant to clear the spot where Mari's wounded legs were, even though she couldn't do anything except a weak pound if any boulder was about to fall or perhaps the space they were in started to crumble.

A different kind of light crept up from above, illuminating the room for it slowly changed shapes entirely.

The once stone hard pavement transformed into the grass, a wall of glass surrounded them to replace dense rocks of crystals.

They were now inside a plain field of green grass—seemed to be man-made since it was impossible to grow a grass without the help of sun—also an abandoned altar with book shelves, dusted cauldron and untouched bed of stone at the center.

It was no longer a ruin of darkness blessed with thick purple miasma, everything looked clear.

A door formed not far from them, opening to the grass plain.—

"Mari-san!"

Both yelled and Mari couldn't be more than grateful— _she is saved_.

"Finally," Yoshiko sighed. "How are things, are you okay?"

.

.

.

"What's this ... place? It's unbelievable!" You couldn't contain her surprised self. "Just a step away, we're out from the stone ruins to a garden below the ground?"

"It's the power of the 'Cursed Witch' the tale told, zura," she surmised. "Though mostly, the walls tell lies, except the activation runes hidden underneath."

The grey-haired familiar scratched her nape with her paw, they were not even close to uncovering the mystery of the ruins. You watched both alchemists helped Mari to be up, let the wing-shaped skull of their atelier costumes to take them up while bringing the injured girl. Blue eyes traveled to see a worried cat aside of Mari remained in her cat form.

"Even I'm doubting my theory now that Dia didn't transform like us," You sighed. "Let's just get out of here now, Mari-chan's broken legs seems awful. We'll support them with our power and bring them out, Maru-chan!"

* * *

Mansion de Mikan.

Riko thought they were going to a strange place in a search for an inn to settle and recuperate their condition. She let You guided them out and lend more power to help them bringing the injured Mari without making the sprain and broken bone worse. When they reached the surface, chilly night air greeted, they had no place to go far except to the fishy-sounding Mansion de Mikan in question. The map did say the details of a lively satellite town which is one of the best Mikan suppliers around Numazu, a place of tourism and a spot to learn ... but it didn't cease the image to be more of a bluff, fictional, nonexistent.

The night was still, starless and moonless when they arrived by a statue of a tree filled with mikan after they passed the sign of 'Welcome to Mansion de Mikan'. It was quiet, perhaps they were in too late to meet with anybody that could they ask around for direction.

"Yocchan, can you stay here for a bit when I look around for information?" Riko asked. "You-chan can help you—"

"I can— _ack_." She stopped with her cough. "Why now of all time ..."

"Now now, this You can ask around in your stead, Riko-chan—"

"—There's someone coming from above, zura."

" _Welcome to Mansion de Mikan!"_

Their little ruckus died down, making space for an orange-haired girl clad in Witch's trademark tall hat and supporting dark blue outfit matching her hat came down with her broom intact.

"It's rather late for a traveler to come by but fear not, Mansion de Mikan always open—" realizing three pairs of eyes—well, technically, six pairs with their respective familiars—looking at the floating girl with a plain look, the girl then cut her explanation. "—Ahem. What business do you have here, a room or an atelier to settle?"

Riko was far from amused, "Umm, who are ... you, Mikan fairy?"

x x x

The Witch suggestion of an inn was in a form of spacious studio, said to be an inn specialized for a traveling alchemist with spacious cauldron's room and separated room to sleep. They only went along the flow with the Witch's direction, perhaps they were too tired to ask about every concerning detail about Mansion de Mikan, they needed a place to take some break from the tiring journey, and of course, to heal Mari's wound.

The blonde wasn't happy with her injury, that much is sure from her dark expression as both Yoshiko and Riko brought her to a room.

"How are her legs?"

Yoshiko greeted Riko after she checked up on Mari upstairs. Yoshiko brewed tea downstairs, sitting with her familiar on her lap. Maru converted herself back to the cat form not long after they arrived in the studio, so as You, since they said they needed to save as much as power as possible to retain their full potential with the presumed miasma effect still remained.

"It's not that bad, but we need to let it rest. The bone wasn't broken, but the dislocation's pretty awful." Riko said, putting back bandages in her bag. "We can continue our exploration later."

Thanks to Maru's power, Yoshiko could read the runes of the ruins, stopping the strange miasma and found the secret room where Mari had fallen into. It was strange to find such garden with a studio hidden between abandoned ruins' walls. Their discovery approved the said legend about the place being inhabited by the Cursed Witch, because of the wall runes told about the story.

A further reading to the said 'Kurosawa' is needed since the excerpt also mentioned the name—which Yoshiko thinks familiar—also regarding the etched crest on the garden.

"What's that thing you're holding, Yocchan?"

Riko never noticed whether Yoshiko came into a small notebook in her possession. There was the same crest imprinted on the cover, might belong to whoever owned the said garden, or they should conclude as the 'Cursed Witch' den for now.

"I just took it since it interests me." The Guilty Kiss leader showed the first pages. "I think this book contains valuable recipes, might as well try some—" though her comments came to an abrupt stop because of a loud, rasping cough. Maru got up from Yoshiko's lap, her eyes shone in concern. Riko reprimanded her, quickly came to her aid.

"There, there, you might have exerted yourself," the burgundy-haired alchemist said. "Get some rest before those synthesize plan of yours."

Yoshiko took a moment to steady her breath. Hanamaru let out a weak mewl, tapping her paw on Yoshiko's lap ever so slightly. "Zuramaru will be worried too if I don't take my rest, right?"

"Do you need help to your room?"

"I'm fine by myself. I'll call you if my condition worsen."

"Yocchan, don't say it like that."

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," she brushed off with a grin, placing the said note on the desk. "Good night."

.

.

.

The blue-haired alchemist groggily shifted from her initial sleeping position, seeking the moonlight creeping from the curtain.

Yoshiko felt that her condition was far better than how she was in the past when Riko and Maru weren't around, she has been enjoying her lives with all the freedom, surprises and excitement; even the ability to travel outside as an alchemist.

She has been forever grateful for this miracle, though she should keep watching her health.

Since Yoshiko has laid herself on the bed, Maru didn't move from curling up beside her. The blue-haired alchemist couldn't help but squeal internally at how cute her familiar is behaving; worried, concerned, tried to protect her—never tried to let her go.

"Both of you are my reason for living now," she said. "Thank you for being here for me."

.

The once passive You converted herself to her human form once more, sitting beside concerned-looking Riko who are now flipping by the old parchment of the book Yoshiko had found.

"Are you okay?"

The room was oddly quiet, absent from usual hyper Yoshiko or high-spirited Mari. The place with Guilty Kiss in it would never be so silent, was what You ever surmised when she had lived with the atelier for five years. Because of the strange purple miasma, You and Hanamaru gained more magic and could extend their familiar powers without the help of their contractor, she would need to tell Riko to investigate about it more, but a pressing matter is on the hand.

It seemed Riko just realized that You materialized, took some while for her mellow expression to melt into a small smile. "I'm alright."

You was forever grateful, because, in the human form, she could give Riko a hug. As a cat, it was painful to not able to ease their contractor's pain—they could only mewl, purr, making their own soft furs as a makeshift blanket, but humans couldn't decipher what they could have meant; how much they wanted to comfort them.

At first, You didn't get what is happening when she and Maru came in as a familiar of an alchemist. They knew the fact that alchemists couldn't utilize their powers to the maximum, but she didn't know it would render them so powerless versus the harsh truth beyond. All she know, Hanamaru ever mentioned that she tried hard to maintain her contractor's low mana level and wished she could do more. You watched silently as Riko always struggled with her improvement of potions, unable to give any help as a being with power.

"They will be okay," You whispered. "They are strong on their own, you don't need to worry too much."

Riko leaned in, indulging herself on the soft paws and furs of You's embrace. "Mm, I just can't help it."

.

Her sprained legs weren't hurt anymore, Riko's patch and potions proved wonders as usual. Riko said that she might need to call a medic to double-check the possible bone fractures but the treatment of bruises and scars were important firsthand.

Mari watched her bandaged right leg being propped up with a help of the fluffy pillow earlier, it's still swelling and Riko told her not to move it yet. Dia was sitting beside her injured leg, sniffing and occasionally rubbed lightly against the bandage.

"Dia, it hurts." Mari chuckled lightly whilst Dia's ears dropped at the mention. "Now, now, come here?"

The cat seemed reluctant when Mari extended her arms for Dia to approach her, well, she couldn't move to pick Dia up at usual as for now. Took minutes before Dia finally trotted down, stopped to snuggle with Mari's cheek.

"Good girl, Dia."

Mari hugged the cat as Dia kept with her snuggles.

"I burdened them again, huh ...?" her voice cracked. "I ... can't do anything right, it's my first journey yet I'm already hurting, unable to be any help with the search."

Mari couldn't decipher a groan that was coming from the cat, it was as if Dia is angry because her depreciating reflections or that she didn't think so. The blonde let out a wry smile, rubbed at Dia's forehead before pressing a kiss.

"Mhm, I should be more positive, right? Since I'm an official alchemist; no longer a good-for-nothing girl I was years ago."

[And the night goes on; unaware of the storm that would have become—]

* * *

The next morning, Riko still prohibited Mari from moving around. Yoshiko was there beside her, reading the book she stole from the ruins with Maru on her lap.

"You know, we can start synthesizing something from this book if you want, this Yohane can't just sit around and do nothing."

"So that's the reason of you accompanying me here, Riko-chan banned you from going out?" Mari asked with a sly smirk.

"S-Shut up!" Yoshiko retaliated. "I-It's not because how I behaved, okay?"

"Then? Did you sneak on Riko when she's sleeping?"

"Sorry if I seem to only do bad things!"

That's unusual, Mari thought to herself, since what she had known from Yoshiko was all but pranks. Riko was sure to discipline her well, anytime, anywhere, sometimes Mari would wonder whether this girl is—who Riko mentioned as the 'founder of Guilty Kiss atelier'.

Yoshiko once proved her masterful synthesize to Mari by altering a sword's properties, something that hardly a non-blacksmith or weapon crafter could have done, so her title of 'prodigy alchemist' was sound.

"I—well, you can say that I'm pretty ill, it's only now that I'm able to move around, thanks to Lily and Zuramaru. Sorry that I haven't told you, Mari-chan, some coward I am, eh?"

It was the first time for Mari to see a different light from those red eyes as she spoke. That answered some question of why Yoshiko needed to stay behind the line, or casting her long-range magic and doing the healing, also why they stopped often during their search.

"Now, now, it's strange for me to gloomy, right? Let's just ... let it be."

Mari was smart enough to not ask anything else, Yoshiko's attention turned back to the book.

The pages were worn out and completely turned brown, though, one couldn't guess how old the book was. The writings inside were still readable, carved in perhaps special ink that won't wear out for ages. If the legends stayed true just like how Kurosawa's crest was marked in there, then that book really belonged to the said Cursed Witch in the legend.

"It's from a Cursed Witch but nothing about curses, Yohane is disappointed," she closed the book with a loud clap. "Oh well, here, Mari-chan, pick something to synthesize first, I'll get the cauldron ready."

"Eh? You won't be the one synthesizing?" Mari asked. "Is it okay for you to move around? We can do it later when my leg's healed—"

Yoshiko assured with a wink, her cat gave a cheerful zura in unison. "Don't worry, Zuramaru is here to help me. You better keep resting, Mari-chan."

Dia, who was silent along the exchange, now climbing on Mari's lap where she opened the book to read, purring as she did. Some pages contained detailed steps in making an item, some were supported with drawings and some in unreadable scribbles. Mari felt something is living through each and every word; it's like her alchemy textbooks, yet presented in beautiful handwriting and more thorough explanations.

As Yoshiko said, it was a book from a Cursed Witch but contained no malice synthesize recipes, rather, it's a bit of common equipment, improved antidote, also some

Dia's right paw stepped on a page.

"Have you found anything good?"

Yoshiko was back with Maru—in her human mode—carrying a small cauldron. The blue-haired alchemist was about to set it up but Hanamaru stopped her, prying the cauldron and firewoods away.

"Yoshiko-chan, please don't exert yourself, zura."

"It's just walking on stairs, besides, you can't set it up without an alchemist."

"Give me an instruction! I'll do my best, zura!"

"No, no, let _me_ do it, I don't want to risk you breaking things up, Lily's going to be mad."

Mari watched the bantering with a smile on her face, not bothering to interrupt the two and continue on reading the article.

 _Eye of Truth_ —with a drawing of mask beside it—an accessory of some sort, without much description of the item's detail available. Lists of the ingredients were listed below the title, [Black Mask], [Colorful Petals], [Rose Fabric] and [Wood Stick]. Both [Rose Fabric] and [Wood Stick] are separate synthesizable items, also Mari recalled that [Colorful Petals] and [Black Mask] were dropped by random monsters inside the ruins.

"I'll make this, Yohane-chan."

The Eye of Truth, she might as well gave it a shot.

* * *

Riko never knew that Mansion de Mikan was actually a village rather than a town.

She didn't visit the settlement in the past to know that such place with a strange name exists, with a sole purpose as a recreational place for long-distance travelers who were studying about Numazu continent, filled with hot-spring inns and specialized inns with alchemy studios.

Mari told her to deliver a letter from Kanan to the Witch Representative there, which they couldn't give to yesterday because of the emergency. Riko and You have been taking a stroll for hours to search the orange-haired Witch's whereabouts to ask more regarding the Witch in question.

"We met her around here ... right?" You pointed at the Mikan tree statue near the village's entrance. "Is she really a local fairy or something?"

"She looks like a normal Witch to me, Riko-chan. I think fairies didn't exist in such flimsy Mikan town ..."

"Hello~"

Speak of the devil, a broom showed up from distance, along with the orange-haired Witch on the tow. She lowered the broom so she could step onto the land, calling her broom back to oblivion and arrived in front of You and Riko neatly.

"Mansion de Mikan's Witch Representative, Takami Chika is here!"

You was taken aback, Riko was baffled as well. "She's the Witch Representative!?"

Witch Representatives meant almost as same as one area's mayor, meaning she's the witches' leader of the area. The purpose of Witch Representative is to collect findings and civilian missions around the assigned area to be informed to the Witch Association, same goes for the alchemists'. However, alchemist didn't exactly need representatives, since most of them were traveling while gathering things, their web of information is wider than how Witches and their limited reach. Witch Representatives also for the sake of no other witches would claim and rule over an area as their own without official documents, avoiding overpowered or malice witches.

That aside, both of You and Riko couldn't believe this upbeat Witch to be a representative of the area.

"Uhh well if you don't believe me, I can show you my official documents—"

"N-No need, no need, w-we believed you!" Riko shrugged. "Anyways, we're here to give you a letter from Uchiura's Witch Association leader, Matsuura Kanan."

Riko showed the envelope with Kanan's green dolphin seal on it. Chika beamed wide when seeing the letter.

"Then, let's don't talk here, I'll invite you to my office."

You didn't think she ever saw any buildings or homes resembling a witch's lair or something called 'office', "Umm, where?"

Chika pointed at the Mikan's statue, "Here!"

_They were not here for a prank, weren't they?_

"Oops, sorry, guess both of you can't see it."

Chika snapped her fingers. The large Mikan statue was glowing in seconds, starting to reform into a larger tree with many branches and more sprouting Mikans, even forming a wooden road of some kind, rotating the large tree. A wood cabin was visible atop of the tree when the enormous tree stopped glowing.

One alchemist and one familiar looked up in awe.

"Usually only witches could see it, ehehe," the orange-haired witch grinned. "Alright, hop on!"

x x x

"I got some [Black Mask]s, zura." Hanamaru waved the said plain, black-colored masquerade mask before putting it down the cauldron. "I can fetch some more if you want to."

Once the cauldron's water was shimmering red, Mari put the mask in. A black blob formed on the center before the water calmed down, she moved to give it another stir.

"Ahh, no need to. I think I'll finish it in one try."

"That's a spirit, Mari!" Yoshiko cheered. "I think the last step would be Elemental Swapping."

Elemental Swapping—now that's the hardest part in synthesizing, one she didn't believe she could master, not without the help and encouragement from the Guilty Kiss members. Mari still needed to be guided mostly for synthesizing, but she could manage just right, she was feeling sure.

Elemental Swap is a step where one changes the elements of their base materials to another target element, but not affect its whole properties or reform the item to something different. Most of the items were in different element far from _Dark_ , it would be a little tricky.

_Concentrate, you can do this, Mari._

A big blob formed before the liquid inside shimmered brightly. The remaining smoke subsided as a decorated mask went afloat. Hanamaru was the one who picked it up.

"[Eye of Truth] zura!" the familiar waved the mask up on the air. "We did it, Mari-chan!"

"That's marvelous, Mari-chan," Yoshiko added. "We might not be sure about the similarity but since we had followed the recipe, then this accessory must be it."

It wasn't the first time Mari made an accessory like that, however, she didn't know why she felt so happy as if she did her first time eve synthesize in her lifetime. Dia meowed beside her, seems to congratulate Mari's success.

x x x

In contrast to the unique outskirts, the office of the said Witch was very neat. Composed with long sofa set with coffee table, shelves of different books and the miniature of Mansion de Mikan afloat on the table, there are two doors leading to somewhere, perhaps the Witch's room and bathroom, as well as a small kitchen.

Chika let both of them sit on the sofa while she read the content of the letter.

"Thank you for delivering the letter," Chika beamed. "If you wanted to ask something please do, I'll fetch you two our special Mikan pudding!"

Riko waved her hands, "A-Ah, there's no need to be—"

"Come on, you're my humble guests!" the orange-haired Witch got up and went to the back where kitchen supposed to be.

You's ears moved back and forth, "Umm, Takami-san? Can I ask about the Abandoned Ruins?"

"Just Chika is fine," she said. "What about the ruins?"

"Do you know about the nature of the place?"

Riko knew where the question is heading, decided to keep her silence. Chika was back with two pudding plates floating also three cups of something piping hot, Riko guessed that it is tea.

"About time," Chika mused. "I guess you have seen the crest on the wall?"

You and Riko nodded, "Yes, 'Kurosawa' if Maru-chan's reading was right." Chika hummed at You's answer. "We've heard about the tale of the Legendary Cursed Witch surrounded the ruins before, also if I'm about to connect it with the crest, is this 'Kurosawa' clan or family perhaps somebody behind this?"

The orange-haired Witch had this smile on her face as she said, "I can say yes about it."

"Then—"

"But I can't tell you more since it's beyond my knowledge. It's Kurosawa clan, yes, an infamous Witch clan with their advanced skills in potions."

"Potions? Isn't that supposed to be ... alchemists?"

"Mhm, well, it's kind of complicated story. As far as I know, records about Kurosawas has been destroyed after the curse being planted." Chika continued. "It said that the ruin is where the Witch was cursed, though it has yet to be proven."

Riko couldn't help but to be suspicious about Chika, she was sure You felt the same. There was an indescribable air around her when she spoke about it, maybe because 'Kurosawa' is 'Cursed Witch' which is a taboo topic to bring up.

"Well then, do you have another question?"

x x x

The [Eye of Truth] has been made but ...

"I wonder what's the 'truth' we can see with these," Yoshiko put the mask up, squinting her eyes as she scanned the room. "Hmm, I see nothing but gluttonous Zuramaru eating the third bread."

"Zura!" Hanamaru seems to be annoyed, well, she's, in fact, is eating another bread from Yoshiko's synthesized bread pile (as to congratulate Mari's success). The familiar puffed her cheek. "Yoshiko-chan is mean, zura."

"Did I make it wrong?" Mari tilted her head.

"I didn't see anything wrong with it. It is as it is." Yoshiko put the mask back on the table. "Think it's need something else for it to function? Like a triggering elements or another paired items?"

"It already imbued with magic, zura, I don't think it's the issue." Hanamaru said. "The magic feels familiar, though ... where I have sensed it ..."

"Is it the same like in the ruins?"

"Ah! That's right! Yoshiko-chan's genius!"

"Hah, of course, who do you think I am!?"

Mari grinned at the recurring skit. Dia meowing took her attention, the cat jumped on the counter table where the mask was. Mari took the mask up, studied the details while Dia was looking. The mask was nothing special, it got an extravagant design based on the book's drawing; golden lines contoured the frame, a purple rose between the junction of its holder and the main mask. The blonde alchemist put the mask on, seeing the surrounding all the same, no 'truth'.

She had chosen a wrong item to make, though she's happy to see how things turned out.

"We should synthesize something else, but tomorrow." Mari sighed. "I don't want to tire you out by helping me, Yohane-chan."

"We can start now—"

"No, Yoshiko-chan, zura."

x x x

"She's hiding something."

"I know, You-chan."

"Oh, but the pudding is nice."

They walked back from Chika's cabin, crossing the market back to their temporary atelier. They pieced information they could get for now from the Witch's Representative of Mansion de Mikan about the ruins and in regard to 'Kurosawa' name.

So this 'Kurosawa' is being cursed, or perhaps sealed in the abandoned ruins, their name being echoed all of the writings on the wall, also the miasma might be a minuscule amount of the sealed magic which is stored by the ruins. They couldn't press more about Kurosawa from Chika aside of 'the family who excels in potions', however, as Riko said, 'potions' wasn't one of Witch's expertise. Chika did say about things being 'complicated' which needed to be mulled over. All of the records about Kurosawa family has been destroyed per the curse issue, as to disclose everything from the history, and what everyone get to know is there was 'a Witch' being 'cursed' and 'sealed' of 'an unknown cause'.

"I wonder who can seal a powerful Witch like this 'Kurosawa'," Riko was deep in thought. "Chika-san's story makes me think of this Witch is almighty since they got a power of potions, sounds like the last boss from any epic tale of adventure."

"We can ask her another day," You opted. "It's no use to strike a question without us having much information about it, also Chika might conceal more things if we can't point the flaws, just like today."

Riko agreed to You's points. She was right, they were right about Chika hiding something about the 'Kurosawa' and the 'Cursed Witch', but it's no use to force things out, all they need is to research more.

—That, if only they all agreed to delve deeper into this. Riko won't risk going back to the ruins because of everything that happened, Mari's injured and it would take some time for Yoshiko to recover, they shouldn't go on and answer their curiosity while putting their lives on the line.

"Let's hurry back, then? We need to check up on those jokers." You joked. "Hope they won't blow things up like usual~"

* * *

Mari felt weird all over that night in her sleep.

It was an odd sensation as if she was floating somewhere, yet power started to surge within herself.

_Is she dreaming?_

She had this fuzzy dream as her eyes closed. She was staring at the blank space, seeing people coming and going; Witches, alchemists, animals, everything.

The next moment, she was like being enclosed in a small space, just like when she was falling into a trap in the ruins, and then she found herself walking aimlessly, hearing noises of something she couldn't grasp until she was standing on the door, leading to the garden underground that they witnessed inside the ruins.

_What are those paths leading her to?_

She tried to open her eyes. Outside, beyond the window, the moon was shining bright, no sign of morning to come. She must have been falling asleep without herself knowing while cuddling with her cat, hearing Dia's rumbling purr to her slumber—

Wait.

She didn't sense fluffy fur near her anymore, rather, she grasped an outline of a nose's bridge, smooth skin, warm breaths that were near—

The girl in her grip squirmed, opening her eyes to meet Mari's confused golden.

"Mm ...? Mari-san, what's wrong ... does your leg hurts?"

_Mari-san? Mari-san? Mari-san—_

"Huh? What happen—"

Mari was sure cats didn't wear clothes and when a cat _suddenly_ turned into a human form _without any sign_ of it being a familiar, that would mean—

Mari's trails of thinking were interrupted with a high-pitched scream alike cat's hiss.

.

.

.

"Now, now, it's just two in the morning." Yoshiko calmly stated, trying to brush Riko's anger (to no avail). "Yohane thought that you have summoned a great demon Lucifer."

Riko with her silent, slightly drowsy eyes with a mix of death stare demanded an explanation from Mari and this ... uhh ... _human_ , that might or might not be the cat Dia since the usual grumpy black cat wasn't around. This new Dia wore Mari's spare white shirt at the moment after minutes of outburst and a slam to Mari's cheek.

"Firstly, I'd like to thank the three of you for every accommodation I receive as a cat. My time of transformation might not be long, but I think it would suffice for a bit of introduction," the black-haired beauty cleared her throat. "Have you ever heard about a legend of the Cursed Witch?"

The three of them blinked at the clue. It has been one topic of their research before venturing the abandoned ruins, also the hints of things left in the hidden ateliers. Seeing their mixed expression, Dia picked her cue to speak, "Yes, your guesses are right. Before you now is present the said Cursed Witch, Kurosawa Dia."

 _Kurosawa_ ; just like the crest said.

 _Kurosawa Dia_ , the full name of the Cursed Witch that no books dared to mention, one name that spoke of destructions and misfortunes, so every living source testified about the legend.

"Dia is a witch ...?" Mari was at a loss for words. "A Cursed Witch?"

"Did it surprise you that much, Mari-san?" Dia looked at another two, who were staring at her with the same light as well. "... Well, It must be unnerving."

Who would have thought a powerless cat to be a shape of cursed legend? Perhaps people will worry more around their familiars if those texts ever tell that the Cursed Witch took a form of a black cat, no one ever said about the witch's death or actual shape, it's only about an unexplained 'sin' that a witch committed that makes a 'curse' happened, becoming a widespread rumor morphing to an actual legendary tale. In the records of now, there had been no witch ever signed with 'curse' penalty, no 'sin' ever regarded as same as the one the Cursed Witch ever committed.

Mysteries remained, living for ages without anyone put a finger on it.

"I think the reason I regained my original form is because of the miasma back in the ruins, just as how You-san and Hanamaru-san transformed without a help of Witch's power," she continued. "It's still a conjecture, but it is a high probability. Although, I have yet to regain all my memories."

"Memories?" Riko asked.

"I couldn't recall how or why I'm 'cursed' just like your storybooks are telling. I have been a cat for as long as I know."

It didn't even sound believable, coming from a 'Cursed Witch'. Dia might be lying, Dia might be fabricating things, Dia might assure them to do work for her as to regain her former glory.

"I ... know that the three of you can't trust me, you can also take me back to the shelter and forget what you have witnessed," Dia made options. "I do hope you would reconsider my proposal to re-investigate the ruins once more."

 _The nature behind the miasma, the reason of the old atelier existence, the history that had been lost—_ they have been going deeper and deeper into things they shouldn't read into.

Mari was the one to break the tense atmosphere. "Give us some time to think."

[The blonde contractor requested, the Cursed Witch obliged.]

x x x

Dia excused herself out to give everyone a chance to think, per Mari's request.

"So?" Yoshiko opened the conversation. "Want to walk back to the ruins to find out more?"

"That also means we strayed from our current goal to find Phantom Flower."

"Also we can't trust a Cursed Witch willy-nilly."

They never expected their steps would prove something ... unthinkable. They were about to witness a buried poison etched deep into a history they believed. Everything now branched into two big roads; to believe on the traitor of the history or to forget the hole existed in their beliefs, to turn their backs and went back to square one as alchemists who hears nothing.

"I personally want to read more from that library since Zuramaru is able to help me translate new runes," Yoshiko patted on her cat. "How about you, Lily and Mari?"

"Hmph, you'll just go the way something interesting happens, huh, leader?" the burgundy-haired alchemist smirked. "I think I want to investigate the miasma's effect more since our familiars transformed because of it. I can pick those books from the library as I go. I want to prove You-chan's theories as well."

"Ehh!? I'm still going to be jailed here?"

Riko gave Yoshiko a sharp glare, "Know your own condition, Yocchan. I'm sure Maru-chan won't allow you to walk too far for a few more days."

The chestnut-eyed cat nodded and added a firm _zura_.

"Zuramaru, not you too!"

"Don't worry, Yohane-chan, you can accompany me here again," Mari giggled. "I too want to help Dia in some way, but I can't travel just yet."

Yoshiko puffed her cheek, not long she retained back to strike her usual pose, "It's settled then, little demons."

x x x

After the emergency meeting was held, the cat came back to the room, walking back to her usual spot beside Mari on the bed. The blonde alchemist petted her familiar wordlessly, gazing at those emerald eyes that shone in the darkness of the room. She noticed Dia's pointed ears drooped, her tail rested void of movement.

"We have decided," Mari said. "We're going to help you, Dia."

Dia mewled loud in objection.

"It's okay. It's not like I'm—us being forced to do this. We really want to help you." She took her familiar close. "You're a good cat, you must've been a good Witch, is my hunch."

_I wish you were just threw me out and then you—_

Dia let out a small cry, Mari continued to stroke the furs around her back affectionately.

[It's the first time for her to be trusted this much, she can't—]

She kissed the crown of Dia's head as she bid her another good night.

"Let's talk some more when you get your strength back to transform, okay?"

x x x

Riko and You explained their theories at the morning, about the correlations between the ruins, the miasma and the familiar's regained power and about the [Eye of Truth].

"We'll bring this item to Chika-san, this might lead us to another clue rather than aimlessly searching the ruins." You took the mask from Mari's nightstand. "Then we, the raid team will also collect books from the garden for translator team to decipher, also we need Dia-san to point out some things she might remember, so she will join us, is it okay with you, Mari-san?"

Mari agreed, she handed Dia to You's paw pads. "As long as we can narrow down our findings."

"Translator team? That sounds lame. Make it 'Seeker of the Truth' alliance."

"But we really just translating runes, Yoshiko-chan, zura."

"Well then, we are off." Riko waved her hand. "Wish us luck!"

.

.

.

When they arrived at the foot of Mikan tree, however, the Witch was nowhere to be seen.

You said that she'll wait for Riko around the market since she needed to stock up some of her food (plus Hanamaru's), Riko waited for Chika to come by.

"Ah, you're here again today, Riko-chan." Chika came with her broom, as usual, she landed on the ground to greet Riko. "Did you call?"

Riko shrugged the nickname aside, she needed to get into the business fast. "I'll be quick, Chika-san, do you know about this mask?"

Though it looked like their guess missed its marks, Chika only saw the mask with a dumbfounded expression, "Huh? What's that mask? Are you in for a party? Our harvest festival is over a month ago."

"... So you don't know." Riko sighed; a heavy one. "We made it after a recipe book found in the ruins."

"I see~" Chika hummed as she took the mask by its flower petals. "An [Eye of Truth], right?"

"H-How did you—?"

Chika was quick to put her index finger from Riko's complaint. Shivers traveled down her spine when the Witch's eyes showed a different glint.

"I can only help you with this." Chika whispered; the mask was glowing for seconds before it subsided. "Go deeper and find the hidden truth with your eyes, alchemists."

The burgundy-haired alchemist watched Chika took her flight with her broom again up, until she was nowhere to be seen.

_Find the hidden truth with your eyes._

She looked over the black mask once again, absorbing the hint of Chika thoroughly before realizing she must've made You and Dia wait.

.

.

.

"Will they find something good, zura?"

Hanamaru asked both Mari and Yoshiko who were studying more about the old notebook which the [Eye of Truth] originated.

They could synthesize all the contents within the book but it might take too much time and a waste of ingredients. Since the notebook was written normally and there's no pages missing, they could observe the contents with ease. It was the least Yoshiko and Mari could do in their condition—wounded and weakened—in Maru's surveillance. The familiar of Yoshiko's might be easy to bribe but she's strong enough than them now to easily make them clam up. As Yoshiko ever tell, Maru is a familiar of Wind elements, Wind's main properties are healing but it doesn't mean Wind can't cause a destruction.

"Hopefully, yes," said Mari. "You guys said that you were stuck around the garden entrance, right? I think there must be some other way around that have yet to be discovered. It will take long to go to all the possible roads, though ..."

"They'll do fine, I mean, that Mikan Witch must've known something else beside trivial matters." Yoshiko added. "Though it must take days to trek along the road, not to mention about traps and monsters."

They sure had many doubts about this options, but they have agreed and understood the risk; they wanted to know and there's a hefty sum to pay for a knowledge.

"Yohane-chan, don't you think I'm selfish?"

Their reading to the book stopped.

"How so?"

"I mean, I kind of forced both of you to accept my terms—to obey a Cursed Witch's wish." Mari explained. "Both of you can always refuse, we can take Dia back to the shelter and we forgot about all these."

"Mari-chan," the leader of Guilty Kiss atelier called, pointed her finger straight at Mari. "Will we be okay if you don't follow your heart?"

"H—Huh?"

"I've said it from the beginning: We want to help you. We're the strength of one. We don't want to see one of us fail. We work in our own way and we never back up from challenges."

Mari's eyes widened. Yoshiko took her breath then spoke slower, both her hands slapping Mari's cheeks.

"I've been sure about it since the first time the weak, helpless Yoshiko decided to form an atelier contract. She's transforming to a great Yohane that won't falter; it's because she has Lily and Zuramaru to support her. That's why, Mari-chan, we'll be there where your heart leads."

x x x

The [Eye of Truth] was leading them down the path, where they found themselves back to the garden once again. The 'dead end' they faced from the earlier time still persist, the only way to walk is back there.

"We need to rest and pick some books to read." Riko commanded. "We can search for the clues in this garden, too."

Dia followed You where the shelves contained books were. The familiar quickly took every book from the shelf down, putting it one-by-one on the grass. Some of them are thick, most of them are pocket-sized. Dia wondered how huge amount of strength that You had, after passing those trap doors even pushing boulders and then there she took big books down with ease...

"Okay, done! Now, Dia-san," You clapped. "Pick the most important thing you think we should bring!"

Huh, now that she mentioned it, some of the covers looked familiar to her eyes...

"The miasma is still a bit thick, isn't it, Riko-chan?" You asked. "I wonder if we have yet to get rid of the main problem."

"But there's no other road except this beautiful garden here ..." Riko answered, eyes glued with the Eye of Truth on, seeking every bush nearby. "... also it's a mystery as of how to make grasses and flowers blooming underground ... is the miasma that made it alive?"

"That's a probability," You took another book to her hold as Dia meowed. "'Where's the source of the miasma now?' is the next question and maybe we need an extract of it so I and Hanamaru can keep maintaining our human form~"

"I don't think I can create a container to contain a magic miasma, I'm sorry, You-chan," Riko laughed dryly.

Dia stopped on a very thin book with red leather jacket. You tilted her head upon the discovery as most of the books that Dia take were thick and heavy.

"Hmm? Oh, shoot, I can't read it," the grey-haired familiar scratched her cheek. "Then, I'll take it ... is that all, Dia-san?"

The black cat nodded, well, she couldn't afford to burden You more since she already takes a mountain of the book already.

Meanwhile, Riko went back to the center where she found another flowerbed. It has a cluster of small flowers with white and dull blue petals, unlike others with a vibrant color like red and yellow.

"Aren't these ..."

"Hmm? Forget-me-not?" You showed up behind her. "It's quite a bunch around here ... I wonder if it's a special occasion?"

"Or marking that something is buried in h—"

It took no more minute for You to start digging.

"Ah! There's a box buried here, Riko-chan!"

Dia never recalled there was a box there or how did the place turned into a garden at some point, she could only mewl confusedly with the findings.

The steel, rectangular box, however, couldn't be opened. Riko scanned it with the Eye of Truth.

"Several runes' seals ..." she breathed. "We should go back."

x x x

While waiting for the raid team return, Yoshiko helped Mari to walk her legs for a bit. Riko left an instruction for the patch for Mari's legs also Maru was there to support the healing, Yoshiko assured Mari that she would be better in a short time. The initial pain and the swelling had subsided that Yoshiko could take Mari to stand up, few steps walk, also be sure not to strain the healing legs too much.

"... and re-apply the patch around the afternoon." Yoshiko recited the instruction again. "Checkpoint done, I've changed your bandages, Zuramaru is making us dinner, Mari-chan is constantly improving, I must be getting a stamp of approval to go outside later!"

Between Yoshiko triumphant laughter, Mari smiled as well. She must be fired up so the obstacle called wound is cured.

"Speaking of which, Yohane-chan," the blue-haired girl turned. "Can I ask a bit about your illness? How ... bad it is so that Riko-chan made a scary face all the time?"

Her garnet eyes rolled at the question.

"Ah~ can say I'm close," Yoshiko answered. "Nothing can cure me, Lily's meds has been slowing down some symptoms and Zuramaru supported my whole Mana for not decaying faster."

She stepped on a land mine, for sure. Mari swallowed hard.

"Don't feel bad about me, Mari-chan. It's not like I've lost all of my hopes—I said I have Zuramaru and Lily as my strength, that's all my fuel of living." The leader smirked. "Though, I must've been making them sad as I about to collapse a number of times already, you should've known."

Mari recalled, she hasn't been much on a journey except seeing Yoshiko and Riko in the atelier. Sometimes she saw Yoshiko wasn't around and Riko simply noted that 'Yoshiko-chan is sick'. Yoshiko and Mari did a few magic sparring at times but not without Riko's surveillance. They composed a combo magic in theories only, never got a chance to unleash it. Then, along with this journey after Yoshiko did her fire magic, there also came constant reminder from Riko for her not to push herself.

"I too want to protect them with my power, not being the one to always stay back and be protected," she laughed, rubbing at her signature bun. "It's far too impossible, huh?"

"—I'm sure you have protected them!" Mburststed. "Yohane-chan already did her best, Riko-chan and Maru-chan must've been happy."

Yoshiko's eyes casted downward, she tried to keep her smile but to no avail. "Thank you, Mari-chan."

[Outside the room, a certain familiar held her hands back from tapping on the door signaling the dinner was ready, she held her lips as she let out a silent cry.]

x x x

The raid team was back during their third lunch time, the first who greeted Yoshiko square on the face was books, sadly. Riko was happy to see Mari could walk now, with a helpful hand of Yoshiko as her support.

You shared their journey and how they found the buried box with runes sealed it shut.

"Umm, sorry to say that we got _plenty_ books to search for ..." Maru's eyes were sparkling at the mountain, not Yoshiko. "That's aside, we can open this box first before others."

The grey-haired familiar gingerly set the steel box on the coffee table for Mari, Yoshiko and Hanamaru to acknowledge. The case was covered in dirt, part of it was rusty, possibly of the age; looks nearly not valuable.

"What do you see, Zuramaru? Is it that layered rune mix again?"

Hanamaru nodded. "It's harder, a bit tricky to crack, zura."

The four watched the two argued ... about how to read the runes from, Hanamaru complained that the string of words tangled in webs and Yoshiko kind of 'just read it in whatever way possible'.

"Read it from left."

"I'm trying, zura."

A loud clack.

"Look, it opens, I told you."

"Zura ..."

Hanamaru picked the parchment inside—her paws were too big, Yoshiko got it handled.

"Other runes, oh wait, I can read it, it's that ol' Alchemist Testament." Garnet eyes squinted at the contents. "... Huh?"

Riko furrowed her brow, "What is it, Yocchan?"

"This is a private letter, addressed to Dia-san, it seems."

Dia climbed up the table, tilting her head. Yoshiko then read the content aloud.

"To: Onee-chan."

—Emerald eyes widened.

* * *

_Onee-chan._

_Onee-chan._

_Onee-chan—_

Dia didn't know the reason why she suddenly ran away from the inn. She dashed, unaware of where she running off to.

She remembered, she finally remembered what the nature of her curse was.

' _To Onee-chan'_ , those words echoed inside her mind as she kept running aimlessly toward the market, to the edge of the village, to atop of the hill where she could see the ruins by the distance.

She could feel her eyes burns, yet she couldn't cry as much as humans do.

_I'm sorry, Ruby._

* * *

"Don't run after her, Mari-san."

You blocked the door, Mari who once running in fervor began to limp because of her sprain. Riko was quick to catch her and avoid falling.

"Give her some time, I'm sure she'll be back," You said. "It must be hard for her, let her be alone."

"But—"

"Your leg is still injured, too, Mari-san, you don't want to worry Dia-san more, right?"

The atmosphere in the inn was thick when they discovered the truth about the old parchment they had found, Dia was running away after Yoshiko had deciphered the message, aside from step to step of how to make an item prescribed; [Sister's Costume], a simpler gear than a complex [Eye of Truth].

' _To Onee-chan,'_ the letter began. _'This might be something simple, but I learned to make an item from an alchemist today. I made a hat for you! Hope you'll like it. Ruby.'_

"She remembered something out of this, that is certain," Yoshiko nodded. "This little sister of her must be tied with her lost memory of the curse somehow."

"It's a theory, but it's highly unlikely to be true, zura," Hanamaru agreed with Yoshiko's point of view.

"Then ..." Mari said in a heavy voice. "I'll make this [Sister's Costume] now. It might lead to another clue."

Last time after she forged [Eye of Truth], Dia regained her form for a short while, perhaps this time, by creating the [Sister's Costume], something bound to happen—

—alas, they won't know whether it would be good or bad for them, let alone to the cursed cat in question.

Dia walked aimlessly inside the market. She didn't know the outline of the road, only to wander around here and there like somebody's drunk, making a bee line or zig-zag, sometimes jumping to a crate, while sorting her thoughts.

She ... has been neglecting her little sister for a long time, she didn't know where her sister ended up to after her cursing—

"Whoops, watch out where you are walking, little fella."

Her face bumped a certain orange-haired witch, who's gingerly picked her up.

"What's wrong, why the long face?" Chika's wiggling Dia in her hold as she asked. "Are you lost?"

Dia shook her head and let out a broken cry. No, she still remembered the way back to the inn, she just needed some time alone after her sudden outburst.

"Are you hungry~?" Chika took a guess. "I'll treat you with the special Mikan Silky Pudding, then!"

 _Is it even allowed for a cat to ingest a pudding?_ Dia thought to herself.

"Don't worry, even a local cat liked this pudding, you must also like it," oh, the witch read her mind. "Off we go!"

Chika summoned her broom and Dia was riding in front of Chika along the line of the market. During the short flight, every nook and cranny of market seller greeted the witch with a warm smile, at times even offering their items, or yelling that they would hold a timed sale.

They stopped by the highest tree trunk around the area, sitting lazily with Chika holding the pudding for her to lick.

—whelp, it was indeed delicious, she never knew Mikan could be this tasty.

Below them, life is revolving peacefully between alchemists and witches, in contrast to her memories. Dia felt a bit dizzy because of her memories a bit jumbled at some places, then again the realization of her little sister's condition and the meaning behind her curse already sent her into a panic, unsure of what to tell to her contractor and the atelier that had helped her to another step.

"It's lively, eh? Even though it's just built recently," Chika said. "Mansion de Mikan was built around five years ago when the Association said that they want a place for travelers to relax while researching Numazu area."

Dia only listened to Chika's rambling, watching when suddenly her eyes softened just for a nick of time.

"Also after the news about the ruins whereabouts widespread, just when I'm not looking," she sighed. "As Kanan-chan said, what's done is done. There's no use hiding it anymore."

The black cat dropped her jaw at Chika's description.

"What is it, little fella? Is it too high up here?" the orange-haired Witch asked, Dia shook her head. "After this, you must go back home, everyone is worried about you."

_There's a non-stop element of surprise coming from this Witch, isn't it?_

[Chika watched Dia's eyes closely as it blinks.]

* * *

Mari opened her room to find no one but Dia in the complete human form, standing beside her open window. Her expression was torn, sad, and unreadable; nothing sort of her usual scowl or bored features. She wore Mari's white nightgown, perhaps something random she found in the closet. She must've been coming from the window and transformed so suddenly.

Mari walked straight, wordlessly give her a hug and whispered a little welcome back.

"Mari-san, I—"

Her 'transformation' might not last long just like that time, it's the only chance for them to talk.

"—I'm glad that you're back," Mari's voice decreased into whispers. "I'm ... I'm worried that you won't be back, you know? A familiar shouldn't be far from the contractor."

Dia ushered Mari to sit down on the bed, letting her go. That's right, Dia didn't even say anything about her recovered leg and that she could walk around. Ah, how bad of a familiar she is; to make her contractor worried and hurt her with the cruel truth.

"Dia."

"I ... I don't want to hurt you, so ..."

"I know." Mari said softly. "Hug?"

.

They were lying on the bed side-by-side, eyes watching each other in silence after the heartfelt hug they shared. The night grew darker, though both eyes didn't surrender to slumber, they were wide awake with pieces of mind racing against one to another.

Dia found Mari held her hand, brought it up to rest between them.

"... I can't brush off the thoughts of how long I left my sister in her sleep ..." Dia choked. "I—just what kind of big sister I am ...?"

"Now, now ... Dia, you were cursed, you couldn't help it."

"I can _avoid_ it, I ... I was stupid, I still don't know the details, my mind is a bit clouded, but ..." she inhaled a shaky breath. "Ruby, she—"

Mari's heart ached, she brought the black-haired Witch closer, patting her back as she struggled to breathe.

" _Dia_." She called. "Don't blame yourself, you—"

"How can I be so calm!?" there she snapped, slapping away Mari's hand. "How many years has it been? Where is Ruby now? What am I doing here for nothing? I'm just a weak, powerless cat!"

Her golden eyes painted the fiery emerald with a concerned look, she didn't bother to say anything to try and calm the Witch down. Mari squeezed their entwined palms, it was the closeness they shared despite Dia's sudden outburst. Dia's eyes fluttered slowly, watching Mari still held her gaze there, waiting. Tears began to pool on the once angered green, flowing to no end only to be stopped by a cold touch that's not hers.

"... Sorry, I ..."

"It's okay, Dia. Cry all you want. I'll stay with you."

Dia clenched Mari's arms as she screamed.

.

It took awhile for Dia's cry to die down, she stifled and her nose went red up to her ears. Mari waited with utmost fondness, sometimes pried those black bangs of Dia away to ask in small voice whether she had calmed down.

"I apologized that I slapped your hand earlier, Mari-san."

"It's not of a big deal," she reassured. "I'm actually grateful that I can help you in some way, after all, you've helped me a lot."

The Witch's eyes widened at that, she never remembered she did any good, let alone able to help the blonde alchemist in her form. Mari let out a wide smile, one that Dia thought she rarely sees.

"You're my strength, Dia, if it's not because of you, I think I would've surrendered with this injury. I won't think to move forward."

"No—I, I forced my goals to you all! I, I never—"

The blonde shushed. "It's me who's selfish, Dia. I want to believe in your words, I want to know the truth."

'The truth'.

Dia was afraid that some of her memories have yet to recover, she could tell Mari about the nature of her curse and about Ruby but ... not entirely, it seems that a crucial piece has yet to be enclosed.

"Oh, right. I have finished the [Sister's Costume] from your sister's recipe!"

{The warmth in her hand was gone for a bit, she found herself suddenly long for it.}

She sat up waited for Mari to be back with a tall, black wizard hat and a midnight-colored dress that shone in the night. The blonde alchemist put the hat on Dia's head, making sure that it fit her right.

"Hmm, now you really looked like those mean Witches in the children's book now~"

"Mari-san!"

"It's joke, it's joke~"

There, they laughed, now sitting on the bed with Dia played with the tips of her wizard hat when Mari naturally joined their hands together again.

Dia spared a little story about her little sister, a Witch with an ability of animal transforming. She said it's useful since most will mistake her as a simple familiar during a lookout quest, she could easily gather information without anyone else knowing.

"Bet she's as cute as Dia in her cat form~"

"W-What are you talking about...?" for once, Dia sounded bashful, eyes darted away from Mari.

Their hands intertwined still, sometimes moving up to feel each and every gap in-between, sometimes Mari would clasp Dia's altogether.

"My sister has small fingers," she suddenly said. "When she's angry, she transformed to her cat form and hid from me. I'll go get her a candy so she'd be better."

Dia chuckled, it brought a smile to Mari as well.

The night went on, the moon was no longer walking between the stars, leaving the twinkling constellations with their own, shining the sky with limited, but beautiful spark.

"It's kind of late, isn't it? We'll search for more clues tomorrow, too."

"Sorry that I kept you—"

"Hush, Dia, no more sorry."

The black-haired Witch was about to retreat to her own share of bed as to stop herself from saying any kind of apology to Mari when the blonde moved closer, closing their face together for Mari to plant a kiss on her lips.

The simple touch lingered for a bit, feeling that it was not a new thing, however...

Dia was frozen, Mari had her mouth hung open as well.

"—I! I forgot you're not a cat anymore!" Mari blurted. "I-It was my routine to kiss you a good night. Umm. G, Good night!"

They awkwardly pull the blanket up and looked away from each other, face beet red.

[Both of them couldn't ignore the swarm of warmth welling up inside their hearts as they tried hard to sleep—to no avail.]

* * *

The next time they went to the Chika's Cabin, it's not just You and Riko alone. The Guilty Kiss atelier presented their team of six, showing the evidence of both [Eye of Truth] and [Sister's Costume] for Chika to acknowledge. You knew Chika had no room to hide anything from them anymore, with this much of proof, they surely would get another clue out from the Witch's Representative of Mansion de Mikan for sure. Riko also had been suspicious at how resourceful Chika was, she sounded to know everything yet she knew nothing.

"Once, there lived a Witch," Chika foretold. "Because of her sin, she's being sealed with all of her relics intact, afraid that she will come back someday to cast a judgement to everyone whom cursed her; below the ground, on the Earth and above the sky."

It was a simple recite of the Cursed Witch tale, Riko was not amused.

"And?" she pressed.

"Isn't it all you need to go on? I've said too much already." The orange-haired Witch said. "I've tell you everything I know as a Witch to an alchemist."

Yoshiko sensed the confused and disraught on Riko's persona, moved in to take a guess. "Are you telling me that the rumored [Heaven's Laboratory] of Numazu is true?"

"For real?"

You was shocked as well. Mari watched things unfold, not bothering to ask the black cat in her lap for answers. This [Heaven's Laboratory] must be some place hidden, like how you can say a gem in a dessert.

The orange-haired Witch pointed at the miniature of Mansion de Mikan, which is lively revolving with the movement of big Mikan tree on the entrance and the flowing river covering the sides. With a single snap, the Mikan tree suddenly growing again, a cluster of crystal blossomed on the top, forming a tower that pierced the skies.

"I'm sorry, but I can't only help you guys from here," Chika said. "It's in Witch's Ten Rules if one witch who already got an area about to interfere with another region or topology, they would be severly punished."

Mari demanded more explanation, though she could ask Yoshiko for it rather than waiting for the Witch to say.

[Those red eyes closed for a bit, as if reminiscing of something as she said her final word before letting them depart.]

"After this, it's all up to you to end it, or not." Chika flashed a smile. "I wish you the best of luck, alchemists."

Heaven's Laboratory; the name sounded ominous and almighty to her taste, never Mari ever acknowledged that her first journey outside would open her world to everything, mostly the truth of the world.

Yoshiko got a brief explanation about the place, that once she ever heard from old travelers passed by during her prolonged stay in hospital because of her illness.

 _A place of knowledge that's limited for someone who's curious,_ _a tower that reached up to nowhere, just like how far the insight of knowledge is. It was built in ancient times, sealed for alchemists to realize because of the great power resting in it. They said one step inside and you won't be back forever._

"That sound even scarier than how dead lock the ruins were, huh? But here we are now. Anything you want to add to the description, Zuramaru? You look excited to see the unlimited books this place seem to hold." Yoshiko snickered to her familiar, whose eyes were sparkling.

"I've heard for once from fellow familiars that it's heaven, zura."

"—Well, hell for most who slacks off, though." The leader brushed. "Then, let's go in?"

Their feet were right in front of the pearlite gates.

x x x

The place was quiet, just how a library should be, although, it was almost like a never-ending maze with an unknown set of stairs with shelves of books as their road, walking all way up.

You couldn't use her strength well to open some gates as it used a bit of trick to open one, like moving away some books, destroying half of the floor's available shelves, nearly drown in a sudden flood of water when they got the rune's direction wrong; their trekking didn't cease to stop. Gratefully, no monsters available, they could purely focus at overcoming the obstacles.

Hanamaru activated a device for the stepping pad to launch them up, they arrived in another floor which is more vacant than the rest they had travelled.

"Careful of your steps!"

"All clear, Captain Sakurauchi!"

"Mari-san, help me by casting your ice shackles to every direction!"

" _Gotcha_ ~"

Nothing happened after the magic activation, the ground was calm and clear.

"Scan the floor with the Eye of Truth, Hanamaru-chan."

"Hmm, no hidden staircase either, zura ... are we stuck here?"

"Is there an altar or something hanging?" Yoshiko pointed their way up, there's still ceiling atop their heads.

Maru went thoroughly with her scan, seeking every nook and cranny for pieces of calling rune or anything.

"Ah, there's a command for rope up." Maru yelled. "Hop on, everyone!"

And then it was a swing for a six, a dangerous way to go up.

On the top of them lies a space that suited for reading; expensive wooden table with matching long bench, the connected book shelves that looked like a row of standing soldier watching to your way and a shining decoration of gem floating at the center.

"An altar!"

"Watch out for the guarding runes, Yoshiko-chan, wait for me to disarm it one-by-one!"

You stuck close to Yoshiko as she followed Maru's instruction, Mari and Riko stayed over the outer line of the said altar.

"Great, there's a parchment planted here!" Yoshiko opened the once glowing huge gem, the dim diminished. "We're done here."

Echoing footsteps came as Yoshiko took out the sealed parchment from the altar.

"Wait a minute, this is a library, right?" Riko gulped.

A loud, piercing roar sounded through the walls of books, some of the shelves were knocked down by the impact. Another sound of screeching steel from a chain being dragged filled the altar, until claws and broad wings could be seen from afar.

Dragon,the strongest being of the history.

It was a fiery red one with scaled body, with a huge figure and broad wings stood in front of Guilty Kiss atelier members. It looked like a guardian of the place, rising from somewhere they didn't know. The dragon released an agitated roar, pointed right to where the opened gem was, eyes glowing right at them.

"—Get ready for a battle!" Yoshiko commanded, taking out her scythe from its holster. "Zuramaru! Cast your Wind Boost to me!"

The three jumped to a different direction as the dragon took the altar by one mighty tail swipe. Yoshiko took flight with Hanamaru's boost, hovering mid-air and pointed her scythe to give the dragon a triple air slice.

"Looks bad, her attacks' not working."

"You-chan, cover me!"

Riko ran her way to the farthest side where the dragon tail was. You took her stance to get a powerful kick to the dragon's left foot, distracting it for a bit from Riko who was with her spear, charging fully to pierce the tail.

Mari caught Yoshiko from her mid-air recovery and made a beeline away from the dragon's open mouth.

Riko successfully sever its tail by one-third, making the charge to its fire breath halted, it groaned in pain.

"We did it!"

"Not so fast—"

The dragon flapped its wings, it went up above, setting its focus on the entire floor where the Guilty Kiss member was in. They thought it would charge in like earlier, but the dragon simply dived with speed, crushing the floor with its body, breaking the entire floor and a few below.

They used their bone wings to dodge from their landing place, tried hard to avoid the upcoming fall of debris and ashes from hindering their sight.

"W-Where's the dragon!?"

"Over h—watch out to your left!"

A beam was avoided, but it was enough to cease their concentration from keeping themselves afloat, they took the land above all the debris shortly. The dragon was flying still above their heads, voicing its roar once more.

Mari readied her rapier again, calculating at the dragon's movement. They got some time before the dragon would move again, judging at how it suddenly stopped after crushing the grounds.

Dia was nowhere to be seen. Mari blinked and watched her surrounding for only broken pieces of building greeted her.

"Mari-chan."

Yoshiko floated beside her, patted on her shoulder twice, a certain code.

"Are you sure about this, Yohane-chan?"

"Before Riko and Hanamaru noticed," Yoshiko cleared her throat. "Remember? I, too, want to protect them. Let me do this for once. I've told You her part, too."

Seeing the resolve, Mari couldn't say no. There she jumped away, stepping from Yoshiko's each and every circle she cast, making a bridge to the faraway dragon.

"You should be grateful that you witnessed our combo magic, Dragon." Yoshiko boasted.

It was something they had planned long, long ago, when Yoshiko said about it would be cool to have a combination of ice and fire magic. It will be like how the concept of alchemy goes: making something from nothing, combining impossible pieces to a possible conclusion, an idea of combination magic was made but no room for execution. The magic would take the toll, of course, they were not born magician, they were simply the normals with a bless of slight magic; they could create probability even for such a little, unlike how Witches with their power of the world.

When Mari took her last jump from the last landing circle, pointing her rapier in front of the dragon's body, both of them called their magic.

" _Niflheim Party!_ "

Fire blossomed from the first circle, quickly connecting its way all up to where Mari is. The blonde alchemist embraced the fire, converting the blackness into complete whiteness, a big ice cage coated in fire engulfed the dragon. The impact was bigger than Mari thought, sending her flying. You was ready below, with her Mana keeping the cage from crumbling from the impact and the dragon's power.

Mari was lucky, at least her body didn't meet a piercing debris, though her landing wasn't that smooth, her whole body ached of the fall. She tried to ignore her pain to no avail, it kept her grounded. Her eyes searched for Yoshiko in the midst of the impact, to find a single body lying peacefully there at the spot where they launched their combination, Mari held her breath.

"—Yohane—"

"Yocchan!"

Riko, although bruised and scarred, reached to Yoshiko nonetheless. The burgundy-haired alchemist took the weak Yoshiko on her lap, relieved that the girl was still breathing.

"Now you can go with Mari ... let me handle the dragon—"

"This idiot," she chided. "How can I left you here!? You're our leader for Heaven's sake!"

Riko concentrated her Mana to Yoshiko's, trying hard to heal her in a breath. Mari heard the dragon's roar from afar, also a sound of a crumbling ice. They would be done for if the dragon's released, You and Maru who tried to keep the cage from breaking will meet their demise first, and then the three of them, which were completely powerless and wounded.

 _It's all to pay for a knowledge,_ it seemed, Mari thought to herself as she looked above.

"Dia, too. Where's she ...? I didn't see her after the first impact, You and Maru must have to keep her like usual."

She could remake the cage once more, it would completely wipe her Mana in a process. She could replenish some, but it would take some time and nothing could keep the dragon at bay except her.

.

_... she had failed._

Suddenly her own weakness rubbed on her, those voices that told her she's weak coming back to haunt her ears.

Late-bloomer.

Good-for-nothing.

Ohara Mari was—

.

.

.

" _How can you claim to be a Cursed Witch's master when you can take down a mere dragon?"_

Dia offered a hand to the fallen Mari, clad in her black and purple dress as well as wearing her tall hat. Mari was beyond surprised to see a miracle happening. Dia took Mari to where Riko healed Yoshiko was, slowly and carefully not letting their hands undone despite the rain of dragon's roar and wind slaps above.

"That's not 'a mere dragon', okay?" Mari huffed, accepting Dia's hand. "How can you revert back?"

"Negative energy, I could say," the witch stated. "Us witches can take energy in many forms, as long as it's originated from the world. Because your struggle the last time, I've gathered sufficient energy to recall my magic and my true form; again I can't thank the three of you enough."

It won't be long until the dragon would set free from the ice cage Mari had created, not long for both Hanamaru and You to stop the cage from crippling. The combination of the Niflheim Party seemed to be failed, the dragon was too strong for the three alchemists to take.

"We'll take it down," Dia expressed coolly. "Will you three mind if I take the lead for now?"

"Can you buy us some time, Dia-san? I need to heal Yocchan and Mari-san first."

"Granted, I'll mess with that little one to buy you time."

 _That little one —_ Mari couldn't help but wonder if Dia ever encountered a bigger and mightier dragon than the red one they are confronting right now.

"I'll assist you—"

Dia held Mari back.

"Per Riko-san had said, you also need to be healed," the raven-haired witch grazed a scar on Mari's shoulder softly, the blonde winced, Dia's following rebuttal was too quiet for Mari to hear. "... If only I'm quicker, you won't be experiencing this kind of pain again."

A bit of flashback when Mari fall from the trap to her study, for the girl to lay low for days to weeks because her sprained legs and for her, once powerful witch of the era unable to do anything to help someone so dear—

(—someone who gives her a meaning of _trust,_ a meaning of _loneliness_ , a meaning to not rely on _power_ —)

Dia retracted her hand and walked to the caged dragon's way. You and Hanamaru still did their part of keeping the cage from crumbling with their remaining powers.

"My soul, materialize."

She whispered softly to the air; a state of wind current picked up out of nothingness, blending the torn papers from books, pieces from broken shelves, also debris from the wall together into a form of gigantic five stone pillars, each with different-colored gems shining atop of them—blue, red, gold, green, and yellow—afloat, revolving around the witch.

_Diamonds, just like how her name voices._

"Familiars, get out from there."

Dia commanded in cold tone. You and Hanamaru, seeing the eerie pillar started to glow, quickly dismissed from their place. The ice cage crumbled when they released the magic, the dragon started to growl at Dia, which the witch responded with a slight sigh.

The blue gem glow intensified.

" _Let the water gives a rain of punishment,"_

Dia started her chant, throwing the pillar to the dragon with an instant point of a finger. The blue gem crashed, the said pillar transformed into a torrent of ice shards, raining at the dragon.

" _Sense the fire engulfs a circle of heat."_

The red gem shattered, Dia points it to fall from upwards mirroring the never-ending rain she just cast, firecrackers fell and popped in the same manners like how the ice went.

.

.

.

"Are you sure she's just giving us ... 'some' time?" You scratched her neck. "She's practically turning the dragon into shreds."

Riko took her time to focus on healing Yoshiko's wounds and Mari helped with her magic to cure smaller wounds from Riko and herself. The leader wasn't exactly had a bad injury, but even her familiar said 'she had gone too far' with her magic earlier.

.

.

.

Mari watched as the festival of five elements being orchestrated to a single dragon.

" _Feel the wind envelopes a gust of murder,"_

The blonde alchemist could only hear the loud crying from the dragon as Dia's chanting didn't cease to end, there were two more pillars intact and the dragon was already a powerless shell.

" _Receive the earth delivers a torrent of punch,"_

How can such a powerful witch like Dia is cursed?

Mari couldn't sense any malice from how Dia had spoken, how Dia stated her wants and wills, how Dia just being Dia—

She inhaled a shaky breath as Dia was about to put down the final pillar.

" _Lastly, take the light with you for a better judgment."_

As if there was no dragon ever there in the library, a blinding light covered the dragon as whole, the gigantic creature was diminished into a form of ashes within a blink of an eye and disappeared without a trace, bloodless and soundless.

Mari turned to see Dia's expression remain unchanged, stoic and cold as she did her finishing move. Those emerald eyes closed when Dia spoke another sentence before she was back to her cat form, emitting a spark of purple on its wake.

" _May you rest in peace._ "

A sound of usual Yoshiko's cough could be heard, waking her up from her reverie.

"Yoshiko-chan, are you okay?" Hanamaru asked, a hint of worry was apparent in her voice.

"Gosh, you scared us by falling like that, Yoshiko-chan," You commented. "We were worried sick, y'know?"

"I'm ... fine, never underestimate the leader of Guilty— _cough_."

" _No more talking_ ," Riko shushed. "You-chan, get me some cloth from the bag, ask Mari-san to convert her ice into a warm water."

"Aye, aye!"

"Hold on, I guess I get the recipe of [Unlimited Potion] around here ... time to do some on-spot synthesize."

"Let me make it, Riko-chan." Mari offered. "We should stay here for a night before walking back to Mansion de Mikan."

x x x

The peace has been returned to the library, no more monsters and distraught followed after the daring dragon. They set their camp at the safer place, away from debris and broken ceiling a few ward below.

That night, Dia was sitting in silent by the other side of the campfire, while others busy with healing each other. _Had she done the right thing?_ She repeated it many times inside her mind as she remembered how the grip of her power felt after so long.

It was not like she'd achieve anything if they would remove her curse, Ruby was ... _nowhere_ for her to search.

She had no more value.

She was already marked as 'Cursed Witch' she has no place to go back in the real world.

"Dia?"

Her owner called from inside the tent. Mari popped her head out to where the fire was, Dia meowed upon her arrival.

"I've been searching for you," Mari sat beside Dia. "I and You-chan already urged Maru-chan and Riko-chan to rest since Yoshiko has regained her strength. It was hard to tell them to stop."

Mari laughed dryly at that, Dia swung her tail back and forth, listening. She found her head being patted again like usual, Mari patted the black cat until she purred in joy.

A sudden surge of question popped inside her mind, whether she chose to be more of a cat than a human, as she recalled a certain touch that would make a human on fire, not how cats would.

"Hmm? What's wrong, Dia, are you cold? Why do you hiss?"

Dia wanted to make a protesting groan but Mari's usual bear hug serving her faster and fuller than necessary, her smaller figure nearly suffocate. Dia propped her head up, only to be snuggled by Mari's cheek, again and again.

"Actually I ... have something to tell you, Dia." Mari's voice grew quiet, her index finger touched on the black nose. "It will wait for later, though, this is not the right time."

Dia's ears flickered in curiosity, that was when Mari squealed something about her being cute and intensified the hug and snuggles more.

[The fire kept them warm but nothing is warmer than their bonds.]

Mari lifted Dia up, smashing the small forehead to her bigger ones, golden to emerald.

"It may sound strange but ... can I kiss you?"

_Uh oh, she must've been thinking about that time, too._

"Sorry that I make it awkward, heh. It's just ... you know."

Dia climbed, setting her paw to prop herself up as she tried to brush on the tips of Mari's nose. Thankfully, there's no indication to tell whether a cat is embarrassed, Mari's expression was priceless, though, before the blonde peppered her with kisses as a return.

"Dia, Dia, _Dia_ ~"

She always hated the overexcited Mari all the time; how she would still kiss and pet her despite her annoyance and a groan,

then again, she couldn't say that she didn't like it.

* * *

"Here, I have translated the parchment, zura."

Hanamaru handed the translated parts for Mari to read. It's a recipe for [Witch's Broom], perhaps a staple one she had seen being used by a Witch in her daily life. The materials were nothing special or hard to find, she could start making it anytime.

"What's this lines below here, Hanamaru-chan?"

"I'm sorry, but Yoshiko-chan is still in the middle of translating it," Maru bowed. "We're also translating some books we got from the garden so our progress might be halted in some parts, zura."

"Ahh, it's okay. I'll ask Riko-chan to help me with the synthesize, do go back to assist Yohane-chan!"

"Thank you, Mari-chan, zura."

After coming back to the library, they pieced together their findings and went back to translating books from the garden for some helpful clues. There's still something hidden in the ruins, they were certain since the miasma's source has yet to be found. This [Witch's Broom] would be the third item, and according to Chika's clue, they already got the thing hidden below the ground, [Sister's Costume], the treasure of the Earth, [Eye of Truth] and with this last item, all of the things regarding the legendary tale would be completed.

Mari still couldn't find everything connected, nor Dia regained her memories as a whole, the synthesize of the broom is a pure gamble.

"I don't want another reckless push like that again, Mari-san."

Riko sighed as she put the chop of [Dark Roots] inside the cauldron. She wasn't over from Mari and Yoshiko's combo magic try from the Heaven's Laboratory. Probably she even scolded Yoshiko more about it, well, it's not for Mari to ask.

"Do spare us, Sakurauchi-sama," Mari jeered. "We're aware of our verbose attitude."

"Hahh, sorry if I'm too fixed over Yocchan's well-being, Mari-san," she chirped. "She told her that you already knew about her condition."

Mari's stirring stopped.

"It's not like I'm warning her to hide it, I'm just afraid it will injure her pride if I'm the one who informed you," Riko continued. "Sometimes I'm happy that she's up and about with our help, but I can't help to think that I never do things right."

She needed to wait for the liquid to shimmer red before putting another pinch of roots. Mari looked over Riko as she told some more, her hands meticulously separated wilted roots and broken batches of [Brown Essence] in ease.

"I'm a traveling alchemist from far Tokyo, curious of how the healing sea magic's improvement is like when I'm crossing with her, a sickly girl who's accepting her fate," Riko rolled her eyes. "It's by her sheer will to be 'normal' that assures me to start delving deep into potions. She's more like my guinea pig rather than a patient—oh, Mari-san, it's turning red."

"Whoa, whoa, right up, right up!"

Mari scrambled, adding more roots to the mix. Riko watched as the liquid turned to a brilliant blue before it died, the amount of liquid slowly decreased. When it reached half, they would kick the essence in.

"That being said, what makes you agree with the risk that time?" she asked. "I mean, you already know about her condition and all."

That question took her by surprise, Mari nearly put other roots in reflex. It wasn't like she was hiding things from Riko to know, Yoshiko also never tell her that what they shared were for their ears only; it was about something else.

"At first, I don't know what she had meant, I ... have realized it recently," Mari let out a satisfied sigh. "Like 'so it's this feeling all along', that kind of sentiment."

Riko tilted her head at the vague answers, Mari's voice went small as she told, the essence is dripping in the cauldron for it suddenly burst—

.

.

.

The next moment she opened her eyes, she was once again secluded in a particular room. By the interior and how things placed, she was there again by the hidden atelier by the garden in the ruins—

No, not the ruins, the wall that surrounded the place has been changed into a glass, she was surrounded by glass walls.

Mari tried to touch a mortar lying by the desk, only to find her hand passed through.

_Where ... is this dream-like state of the world?_

Mari then tried to walk outside the door to find a beautiful garden within sight; breathtakingly beautiful with the variety of flowers and herbs located once the underground ruins were. It's better to say that this place is an 'underground garden', perhaps coated in magic and technology as to make it living without the trace of sun.

Mari saw something lying by the center of the garden, she ran to see.

With a blink of an eye, suddenly someone appeared by the middle of the garden, holding a broom identical to what she has been synthesizing earlier, also donning a tall, black witch hat in complement with her dress. The witch has the raven tresses she acknowledged, also the forlorn expression she ever saw.

"... Dia?"

Her vision came into focus as she was nearby the center of the garden, a girl was lying on the flowerbed by the center, Dia was looking intently at the girl the whole time.

[The Forget-me-not whispered in silence.]

"Not this too, I guess?" Dia mumbled under her breath as she crushed a leaf within her palm. "I think I need to search for another continent for another seed."

Mari surmised that this might be a memory that resonated with the items she had made, recreating a recollection of an old event. She looked over the lying girl, a small girl with magenta-colored hair, her eyes closed and her figure was pale. All Mari knew that this girl was alive is by the heaving chest—she was more like a corpse surrounded by a bed of flower, nothing more.

"I'm sorry ... your Onee-chan is useless, Ruby," Dia's voice cracked. "It's my fault too that you have to be like this ..."

Mari could only hold her breath as Dia spoke, occasionally stroking the girl's hair with care.

"Perhaps it's better to ask for help to an alchemist but ... I don't know, I have nobody to trust anymore since they killed our parents ... even putting a curse to you ..."

She felt her heart sank to hear more and more of Dia's painful mutterings.

"I have no other choice, I have asked around a bit, there might be a way to seek a Phantom Flower for making an Elixir to cure the sleeping curse," she said. "If I'm lucky, I might find one, or not—"

A loud explosion could be heard from the surface. The black-haired witch sighed and put the spell so the magenta-haired girl—her little sister—out of sight. Dia brandished her mask, Eye of Truth, to scan upwards, seeing people had gathered.

"Alchemists," Dia bit her lips. "As I thought, I've asked a wrong person."

She then fled to the explosion's site with her broom, ready with few vines she made from a few of her growing plants.

" _We've found you, Kurosawa Dia!"_ a threatening voice echoed. _"Give us the recipe of Kurosawa's Elixir or we'll crush you!"_

"I won't let you lay a hand to Ruby or my family's treasure," Dia exclaimed. "In the name of Kurosawa, I shouldn't let you use the Elixir for a bad deed!"

The last thing she heard was another large explosion, the ground started shaking, for suddenly a light engulfed the witch from every direction, and—

.

.

.

" _Dia!"_

She was awake to a worried Riko by her side.

"Thank goodness you're awake!" Riko seemed breathless. "I thought something happened to you during the synthesize as you collapsed ..."

You was behind her, holding the broom she had synthesized. "Hmm, guess the witch's energy in this one is too great for an alchemist to handle," she traced the broomstick with her paw. "Thankfully, it's not flowing uncontrollably for us familiars to control."

"W-Where's Dia?"

"She's downstairs with Yoshiko and Maru, they wrapping things after the synthesize. She's in her human form, maybe because you've completed yet another of her past relics." Riko looked over You, the gray-haired familiar nodded in Riko's cue. "I'll call her."

Riko was setting the broom on the desk, along with other two items present, the [Eye of Truth] and [Sister's Costume].

"Seems this make of all the 'relics' that once Cursed Witch had with her at the time of her cursing happened," Riko said. "That being said, what happened, Mari-san? You ... sweated a lot."

"Dia ... she—" Mari cleared her throat. "She's not ... a 'Cursed Witch', it was a forged tale by alchemists in the past."

Amber eyes widened, "E-Excuse me?"

.

.

.

A forged tale. A forged tale made with the hand of the alchemist.

Dia was cursed by the alchemist's group who were jealous of her family's Elixir, they wanted to make it theirs, ignoring the will of Dia to simply work on it together.

They killed their parents.

 _Alchemists_ killed their parents.

They put a curse on her little sister.

 _Alchemists_ put a curse on her little sister.

They sealed her in the ruins.

 _Alchemists_ were greedy to take something that's not theirs.

It was all ... alchemists—the same rank as them, the residents of Guilty Kiss atelier. Alchemists were framing a single Witch for every destruction, their greed, their thirst for fame. The elixir has yet to be made until now, it was because Dia's effort to protect it from those hands to grasp. She was publicly blamed, she was being damned for all generations by the tale of the 'sinful, Cursed Witch' that just a mere—

Dia stood idly, sometimes gripping her arm while Mari spilling the content of her recollection, everything she had witnessed.

"It's all our fault," Mari ended her tale. "We—we had been cruel to you, Dia."

"No ... you were different," Dia said softly. "Those were in past."

"How can you be so—"

"Mari-san, I ..."

"..."

The silence is heavy.

"Okay so," Yoshiko stepped in. "Are we wrong for trying to help you here, Dia-san? What do you wish for, to keep believing us or to tell us to stop because of our cause's sin in the past?"

Dia's eyes cast down, unable to meet any of them, especially Mari's guilty ones.

"It depends on me to believe in alchemists, I'm grateful to be in the company of Guilty Kiss, I ... don't hold any malice to any of you," she began. "Then again I ... don't want to keep my selfishness up any longer. Leave it as is."

Yoshiko nodded at that. "Mari-chan?"

"I won't stop until the end."

"—You wanted to risk yourself to rewrite my curse?" came the broken voice of objection. "I-I can't let you do that, Mari-san."

"It's the _least_ we can do as someone whoever sealed you, Dia."

"Ah, ah, stop right there, this is getting nowhere..." You came between them. "Sort your thoughts first, we'll be waiting for your decisions."

Mari wanted to witness the truth and she wanted to help Dia from the bottom of her heart.

Dia had already lost her will, her everything after that day, and there in her powerless state, she was taught to believe, to not rely on power alone, to know that she was not alone.

"Dia."

There was an affectionate ring on it, running in the call to her name like a second nature. She knew that Mari is fond of her in the cat form, their journey together was far from ending, it was the early beginning where they still struggling to accept their own self and their faults.

Mari would pet her eventhough she didn't call for it.

Mari would snuggle with her below the blanket until both of them fell asleep.

Mari would try to understand her without words necessary.

And there, Mari held her breath as she reached for the contours of the face, giving Dia a slap to both cheeks.

"Tell me, what do you wish for?"

Their foreheads bumped,

"Asnwer me, Dia, I'm waiting."

their nose brushed,

"Dia."

their thoughts clashed.

"Mari, I'm ..."

"You're not alone anymore, silly." Mari laughed. "You have us, you have me, we can help you to find your sister, we can make them believe that you're not a Cursed Witch, we'll make the world knows our sin, you'll be free."

_Is her uncertainty that loud for Mari to hear?_

"Please. Trust us."

(She didn't know what tomorrow will bring, but—

She didn't want for that hands to go without her.)

x x x

The garden was still, waiting for every initiation to return.

The flowerbed where Ruby ever rested was still there, a bit of disarray happened because of You's digging for the steel box moments ago.

The question of the incomplete whereabouts of the garden would be revealed.

Mari already knew her part, she already bid her farewell to the atelier, all that left is Dia in her focus.

"I'm going to tell you something. And promise me," she held her ground, ready. "You will return to me after all this."

Dia didn't know where the conversation was heading.

"You know Dia, I'm ... really grateful to make you my familiar. I don't feel any more loneliness. You have been my strength to overcome my bad side, I—"

"Mari-san—"

"I ... I want you to accept my wish, my selfishness," Mari stretched their interwoven hands. "I want you to accept my feelings."

The garden was glowing—Mari recited her lines continuously—the ruins were reforming. The purple miasma shook them, wrapping them, absorbing back to the source and erasing each and every fabrication called ruins; stones and crystals were gone, the garden was the thing left, expanded wide and far, alive with more and more flowers, blessed with the sun that crept on the glasses that kept them from storm.

All went back to the beginning, the miasma is a poison to the travelers, when Mari slowly fell, Dia gathered her in her arms, the whole world continued reforming.

"Mari—"

She could no longer hear the usual soft voice of Dia anymore, she only caught a glimpse of her tears falling, her lips moving non-stop to call for her. Mari kept smiling, moving her strength to her arm and reach to comb the luscious black hair she loved for.

Yes, _she was in love_.

That feeling, she called it as _love_.

She could feel her own heart and eyes burns the more she looked at the crying Dia. _How could she make her cry again?_ She wanted to slap herself for this, though all of her senses were leaving her, only a fraction of consciousness and her sight stayed.

As the garden bloomed beautifully, so is her love, her breath stopped.

* * *

Chika looked at the pillar of light within distance, she was in a call with Kanan a minute ago before she saw an enormous energy gathering by the ruins.

So the alchemists were choosing the impossible, to rewrite the history and a curse from witches. Chika had warned them, Chika had told them that it _is_ impossible for the Witch to rewrite a curse without knowing the cause, even though they knew the curse originated from the alchemist.

And there, alchemists making it happen with their limited power.

The past theory of Dia was right, alchemists and witches should work together to create a better world, something she has been damned for, something she has been cursed for, something that Kurosawa tried to achieve, for witches to create an Elixir and for alchemists to reach their full potential.

"Finally," Chika whispered, tears rolled by her cheek. She turned back to a flowerbed hidden between her almighty tree where her partner rested. "We can continue to try and wake you up, Ruby-chan, and remove the cursed mind and ego of humanity for years."

.

* * *

{ _The moment of peace between witches and alchemist continued, now with new acknowledgment about their past resentment and a true tale behind the legendary Cursed Witch._ }

* * *

When Mari came to, Kanan was by her side, smiling and waving to her.

"What had happened ...?" Mari asked. "I was in your Shelter and then—"

"You've awakened from a long, arduous dream _._ "

Kanan's answer made her unsatisfied, yet she didn't know why her mind rejected the answer. Her spiraling brain was too messy to even know what happened, her body was far too weary to move and hold Kanan to demand an explanation. The blue-haired Witch only smiled, gestured for Mari to stay and stop struggling.

"Take your time, Mari. I'll be away for today, I needed to help someone with her research, gotta visit you later." The Witch spared a wink.

.

.

.

As she was able to move her muscles more, Mari reached the counter beside her bed to find letters addressed to her, maybe it was something everybody left because Mari wasn't awake yet.

 _Get well soon, we'll go on a journey again!—_ with a mark of a demon. _We'll hope you will return to Guilty Kiss atelier after you've recuperated. Best wishes for you.—_ a sakura flower. There are also notes with paw prints on it, Riko scribbled that it was from Hanamaru and You, saying that they would love to see her soon. Frequent bouquets were there from her parents, they were sorry they were busy and when they came to visit, Mari has yet to awaken so they only left flowers and letters.

And there stood a ripped pile of papers stood unattended after the neatly-packed letters she had opened.

"What are these?"

It was like a puzzle of sentences, she tried to sort them out on her bed.

'Promise'

She didn't get whatever the words she formed into sentences meant, maybe she was wrong at deciphering it. There was no sign of the sender, too, which made it even harder to get something they could actually mean.

' _Promise_ '

Mari thought she had already got the messages but a sudden headache struck her, opting her to surrender instead.

.

What had happened?

Isn't she just graduated from the academy?

What's the letter from Guilty Kiss said about 'another journey'?

What Kanan had meant of a long, arduous dream?

.

.

.

There she was. She had pieced every piece of the clue correctly.

As she re-assembled the torn papers in the right order, it automatically knitted together in a single paper, also additional words appeared by the foot of the paper, it seemed all of it was a work of a certain magic.

Though she was nowhere near to be healed, her legs disobeyed her brain and she met the floor, immobile, the pieces she had assembled fell together with her, she groaned.

"... Just as I predicted." From the direction of the window, came a sigh. "How can such a stubborn alchemist be a contractor of the powerful witch of the era?"

Mari didn't look up since she has yet to recall the name of the sender of the letter. A hand stretched to her vision, all she need was to grasp it.

"Let's go out, it must be boring inside this room all the time," she cleared her throat. "Mari-san."

.

" _Are you sure about this, Dia?" Kanan nudged. "After she proves her dying love for you? After she risked her life to go on over Mana poisoning?"_

_Dia puffed her cheek. "She'll wake up in a dazed state of unable to remember what happened because of the massive energy blast, but a flick to her memory is able to make her remember about me. "You see, this stubborn girl will be running to search for me if I don't make it hard for her; she'd neglect her rest! Kanan-san, I was about to lose my heart when her heart stopped beating." she heaved one heavy sigh. "The Phantom Flower is nearby to absorb her excessive intake! And—"_

_Dia was finished to rip her own paper and let it fall to the counter. Mari has yet to awake from her slumber. The leader of Numazu's Witch Association shook her head after hearing her old friend's idea._

" _And, what? I know you transferred some of the poison away with your li—"_

" _Kanan-san."_

" _Ahaha, don't stare me daggers, I've had enough from Chika this morning already. She kept scolding me because I handed the responsibility to her."_

" _That Mikan Witch, I've never known that my little sister already had a partner! I'm enough of being fooled because of amnesia!"_

_The fuming Dia continued to explode, Kanan never heard of it from decade so she decided to bear with it. She just responded most of Dia's anger with a laugh. Well, it's very Mari-like to be like that; reckless and all. "Then, will you be back to your post then, as a leader of Numazu's Witch Association?"_

_Emerald eyes stared at the amethyst one before it shrugged away. "Heavens, no."_

"— _Eh?"_

" _After I'm done with healing Ruby, I'll make a traveling witch a history," the raven-haired witch stated. "I want to see the world just like how alchemist walks with all their senses absorbed in a journey."_

" _Sounds like a plan," the blue-haired witch hummed. "Or should I say it's just for you to stick with Mari—"_

"— _Say someone who's dishonest with her feelings?" Dia smirked. "I know that you filled my position so you can watch over a certain Mansion—"_

" _That's enough, Dia!" Kanan was beet red. She tried to distraught Dia's attention to the Kurosawa's Elixir recipe in the red book. "W-We should get going! We need to reform the Elixir recipe, nee?"_

_Dia spared one last look to a peacefully sleeping Mari, smiled softly at the relaxed feature of the blonde for minutes before following Kanan out of the room._

— _Ah. Seconds, please, Kanan._

_Dia trotted back to where Mari slept, she brushed the blonde bangs aside from Mari's forehead, planting a promise kiss._

" _I planned it all but I ... do want you to remember and to search for me faster, Mari-san," Dia whispered. "Then, until we meet again."_

.

.

.

"Dia, you meanie!"

"Don't pinch me or we'll fall!"

"How can you do that to me!?"

"I feel that I have the privilege to teach your stubbornness a bit, Mari-san, even your atelier teammates agreed." Dia pouted.

"I-I'm struggling to remember about you, you know. You big meanie!"

"—And you are being a little ungrateful that you have your familiar carried you in this fashion?"

Dia yanked her arms. They were both on Dia's broom, however, due to Mari's paralysis, the Witch couldn't help to get a princess carry ready. It wasn't easy to maneuvering her broom while keeping Mari to shut up for a second.

"Still!"

"Calm down or I'll—"

"What— _mmph_."

Nobody would bother to see someone kissing up in the air, isn't it?

"There, I'm returning your feelings," her cheeks burnt more, so as the swell in her heart that ready to instruct more butterflies to dance fueling her senses. "Sorry that I made you wait long, Mari-san."

There are many things to sort out, there are still problems to solve, however, it could wait until the excitement died down.

"Where are we heading?"

Mari asked, buried her embarrassing face close to Dia's beating heart.

"Home."

"Where?" it was a bit rhetorical.

"Your room. Guilty Kiss atelier."

"I haven't make a new blanket for the big Dia."

Her fingers found it to run down between the blonde tresses lovingly.

"Don't worry, we'll use one together."

* * *

_Promise me / you'll return,/ you won't make me feel loneliness / anymore,/ your warmth / has given me strength,/please, / please, never let me go._

.

Kurosawa Dia - Ohara Mari.

* * *

**[ fin. ]**

**Author's Note:**

> This AU has been conceived after the witch!Dia UR cards are out. I just love Dia so much and DiaMari, haha. The title and the atmosphere are highly influenced by how I feel after listening two songs from Lanota game, Frey's Philosophy and Dream goes on. I never know this will be this long ... though I myself always being satisfied with my English ... ah, I need to work more.
> 
> Do you enjoy this? Can I be selfish to ask you for a review? Or umm, if you want to take over the idea and rewrite it in a more beautiful way, I don't mind.
> 
> See you next time!  
> -berryargento, 2016


End file.
